gaAs is semiconductor
No, silicon and germanium are not always used in alloys. Silicon is commonly used in alloys, such as in aluminum-silicon alloys. Germanium is less commonly used in alloys due to its high cost and limited availability compared to other alloying elements.
germanium, tin, and lead
Silicon is preferred in designing integrated circuits (ICs) because it is abundant, has good electrical properties, is easy to manufacture, and forms a stable oxide layer for insulation. These characteristics make silicon an ideal material for creating the transistors and other components used in ICs.
Germanium is in group 14 which in increasing atomic number are carbon, silicon, germanium, tin and lead
Germanium atoms are hold together through covalent bonds, although they have more metallic character than carbon and silicon.
Four reasons. First, it is a LOT cheaper and easier to get silicon. Germanium is a trace element in rocks. You need to mine and process lots of rock to get any germanium. Silicon is also known as sand--very easy to find. Second, germanium is heat sensitive. It's harder to solder a germanium device in than a silicon one because the heat can mess up the germanium. Germanium devices pretty much have to be soldered in by hand because you have to heat sink them, whereas silicon devices can be soldered in a soldering machine. Third, germanium's hazardous and silicon is generally not. People eat off glass plates, which are made from silicon. They do NOT eat from germanium plates, if they could even afford them. And fourth, germanium has a variable voltage drop--the higher the voltage, the greater the drop. If you pump 5000 volts into a silicon diode, you're going to get 4999.3v out the other side.
Silicon is more stable than germanium primarily due to its larger bandgap and stronger covalent bonding characteristics. The tetrahedral bonding structure of silicon allows for a more robust lattice arrangement, making it less susceptible to defects and thermal instability. Additionally, silicon's higher electronegativity contributes to its stability, as it forms stronger bonds with other elements. Consequently, silicon exhibits greater thermal and chemical resistance compared to germanium.
The depletion region is smaller in germanium compared to silicon because germanium has a lower bandgap energy, meaning that charge carriers can easily cross the depletion region and recombine on the other side. This results in a smaller built-in potential and a smaller depletion region in germanium.
Yes, germanium forms covalent bonds. Germanium is a metalloid element, meaning it shares properties of both metals and nonmetals. In its elemental form, Germanium forms covalent bonds with other atoms.
Semiconductors are materials that have electrical conductivity between that of an insulator and a conductor. They are the foundation of modern electronic devices like transistors and diodes, making them essential for the functioning of computers, smartphones, and many other technologies. Common semiconductor materials include silicon and germanium.
carbon, germanium, tin, lead
Silicon has 14. Germanium has 32. You figure it out.