What are two common uses of germanium?

Answer 1

Answer

Germanium Diodes have a lower forward drop voltage (of 0.3V) compared to more common Silicon Diodes (forward voltage of 0.7V).

Germanium diodes are not very common these days and are hard to find but are still used in hobby AM radio receivers as detectors and also in battery circuits connected to Solar panels.

Very common in guitar pedals.

- Neeraj Sharma

Answer 2

Germanium is an important semiconductor material used in transistors and various other electronic devices. Its major end uses are fiber-optic systems and infrared optics, but it is also used for polymerization catalysts, and in electronics and solar cell applications. It is finding a new use in nanowires.

Answer 3

• doped with arsenic, gallium, or other elements for use as a transistor element. Its application as a semiconductor provides the largest use for germanium
• alloying agent
• phosphor in fluorescent lamps
• a catalyst
• germanium and germanium oxide are transparent to the infrared and are used in infrared spectroscopes and other optical equipment, including extremely sensitive infrared detectors. Also for wide-angle camera lenses and microscope objectives.
• possible chemotherapy applications?
• use as a gamma-radiation detector

Germanium is an important semiconductor material used in transistors and various other electronic devices. Its major end uses are fiber-optic systems and infrared optics, but it is also used for polymerization catalysts, and in electronics and solar cell applications. It is finding a new use in nanowires.