Why are silicon and germanium used as semiconductors?

Why are silicon and germanium used as semiconductors?

Silicon and germanium are used here effectively because they have 4 valence electrons in their outermost shell, which gives them the ability to gain or lose electrons equally at the same time.

Why is silicon a semiconductor?

A silicon atom has 14 electrons around the nucleus, and of these, there are 4 valence electrons on the outermost orbital. When this is made into a single crystal, it can be used as a material for semiconductor products. When it crystalizes, the nuclei share electrons and they bond with 8 electrons around each nucleus.

Why are Si and Ge semiconductors but not a carbon?

Carbon is a non-metal, and non-metals weakly conduct electricity. This is because the atoms or the molecules in carbon are closely packed to each other. Silicon and germanium which are additionally in Group IVA are semiconductors and are delegated metalloids.

Is silicon germanium a semiconductor?

Silicon germanium (SiGe) is now a popular semiconductor that has skyrocketed in its production since the 90s. But this semiconductor didn’t rise to success overnight. In fact, the combination of silicon and germanium was discovered by accident.

Why is silicon used instead of germanium in semiconductors?

Although both silicon and germanium are used in semiconductor devices, the present day trend is to use silicon. The main reasons for this are : (i) Smaller ICBO. At room temperature, a silicon crystal has fewer free electrons than a germanium crystal.

Why are silicon diodes better than germanium diodes?

At room temperature, Silicon crystal has fewer free electrons than Germanium crystal. This implies that silicon will have much smaller Collector cut off current than Germanium. The variation of Collector cut off current with temperature is less in Silicon compared to Germanium.

Why are silicon atoms less expensive than other semiconductors?

Silicon atoms have four electrons which can be shared in covalent bonds with neighboring atoms. Silicon is the principal component of common sand, and for this reason it is less expensive than other intrinsic semiconductor materials. But in such small quantities, raw material cost is not always decisive.

What’s the difference between germanium and silicon ICBO?

The variation of ICBO with temperature is less in silicon as compared to germanium. A rough rule of thumb for germanium is that ICBO approximately doubles with each 8 to 10°C rise while in case of silicon, it approximately doubles with each 12°C rise. (iii) Greater working temperature.