Germanium has a smaller bandgap compared to silicon, leading to higher intrinsic carrier concentration and hence greater leakage current. Additionally, germanium has a higher intrinsic carrier mobility, which can further contribute to increased leakage current compared to silicon.
Silicon has a larger band gap energy than germanium, resulting in a higher cut-in voltage for silicon diodes compared to germanium diodes. The larger band gap in silicon means that it requires more energy for electrons to be excited into the conduction band, resulting in a higher cut-in voltage.
Basically Si and Ge are optically inactive materials because of it's indiect band gap.That's why people are not using this for producing lasers. Generally we are using Optically active materials are used for Laser Production. Ex:Ga-As
The width of a silicon atom is about 0.117 nanometers. In comparison to other atoms, silicon atoms are larger than hydrogen and helium atoms, but smaller than atoms like carbon and oxygen.
The process of growing silicon crystals is crucial in the production of semiconductors and electronic devices. Silicon crystals are grown using a method called the Czochralski process, where a seed crystal is dipped into molten silicon and slowly pulled out, allowing a larger crystal to form. These silicon crystals are then sliced into thin wafers, which are used as the base material for manufacturing semiconductors. The purity and quality of the silicon crystals greatly impact the performance and reliability of the electronic devices produced.
The process of growing silicon crystals in the semiconductor industry is advancing and evolving through innovations in crystal growth techniques, such as the use of advanced equipment and technologies to produce higher quality and larger silicon crystals. These advancements are aimed at improving the efficiency and performance of semiconductor devices, leading to faster and more powerful electronic products.
Silicon has a higher operating temperature and greater thermal stability compared to germanium. Silicon has a larger bandgap energy which makes it better suited for high-power applications. Germanium has a higher electron mobility which can result in faster transistors, but it is less commonly used in modern semiconductor devices.
Silicon has 14 electrons and germanium has 32 electrons in their atomic structure. Germanium has a larger atomic size and mass compared to silicon. Both elements have a similar crystal structure and are used in semiconductor devices for their electrical properties.
Silicon is preferred over germanium primarily due to its superior thermal stability and larger energy bandgap, which make it more suitable for high-temperature applications and reduce leakage currents in electronic devices. Additionally, silicon has a well-established manufacturing infrastructure and a lower cost, making it more accessible for widespread use in semiconductor technology. Furthermore, silicon's native oxide (silicon dioxide) allows for better insulation and passivation in integrated circuits. These factors contribute to silicon's dominance in the electronics industry.
The difference in breakdown voltage between silicon (0.7V) and germanium (0.3V) is mainly due to their different band gap energies. Silicon has a larger band gap compared to germanium, resulting in a higher breakdown voltage. This means that silicon can withstand a higher voltage before breaking down compared to germanium.
Silicon has a larger band gap energy than germanium, resulting in a higher cut-in voltage for silicon diodes compared to germanium diodes. The larger band gap in silicon means that it requires more energy for electrons to be excited into the conduction band, resulting in a higher cut-in voltage.
Silicon has a larger band gap than germanium, leading to a higher barrier potential. This is due to the differences in the electronic structure of these two materials. Silicon's larger band gap means that it requires more energy to move electrons across the junction, resulting in a higher barrier potential compared to germanium.
The energy gap in silicon is larger than in germanium because of their different atomic structures. Silicon has a larger atomic size and a stronger atomic bond compared to germanium, leading to a wider energy gap between its valence and conduction bands. This larger energy gap in silicon results in better insulating properties and makes it a popular choice for high-performance electronics.
It probably has to do with the arrangement of their electrons in their electron shells, which in turn effects things like their atomic radius and resistivity. Remember that these are "semi-conductor" metals. The term "forward voltage" has to do with devices, such as diodes and transistors, not the elements themselves. Elemental Silicon and Germanium do not have "forward voltages" per se; it is only when these elements are "grown" into a wafer and fused to a circuit that we have a device. The terms forward voltage, reverse voltage, breakover voltage, thermal breakdown, and a lot of other measurements and factors then become part of the "specs" for that particular type of device.
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 invention of the planar process by which most IC devices are fabricated relies on the gas phase diffusion of dopants to produce N-type and P-type regions, but also on the ability of silicon dioxide to mask these diffusion processes and passivate the chip surface eliminating the need for hermetic packaging. Silicon is unique in its ability to be oxidized to produce a stable insulating coating. Germanium dioxide is crumbly and water soluble, making it impossible to use in this process. While the first IC made used germanium, it had to be handwired which would have made them prohibitively expensive to produce and much larger than even the early silicon ICs.
Germanium is the largest of the two. It has a larger atomic mass.
The potential barrier in silicon is higher due to its relatively larger energy bandgap compared to other materials, such as germanium. This bandgap, approximately 1.1 eV for silicon, requires more energy to excite electrons from the valence band to the conduction band, thus creating a larger potential barrier for charge carriers. Additionally, silicon's crystal structure and doping levels influence the height of the potential barrier, affecting charge transport properties in semiconductor devices.