Why was William Shockley in favor of germanium?

Answer 1

It was simply a matter of availability and ease of processing at the time. Germanium was available and much easier to purify to the ultrapure level needed in semiconductors. It took well over a decade for the technology to progress to the point that silicon could also be purified to the ultrapure level needed in semiconductors. Once silicon could be used it quickly replaced germanium in most applications because it has several physical properties that are better than germanium.

Answer 2

William Shockley was in favor of germanium because he believed it had superior semiconductor properties compared to silicon. He saw it as a more suitable material for creating transistors and other electronic devices due to its higher electron mobility and lower production costs at the time.