Why Silicon preferred over Germanium in semiconductor?
There are several reasons Silicon has become the well-liked Semiconductor within the present,over Germanium.
1) First reason is that Si forms on its surface very easily a skinny layer of SiO2 which may be a excellent insullator and which technologically are often very easily processed.This layer of Oxide is extremely useful to make the gates of MOSFET transistors (it is situated between the gate and therefore the channel). Also this layer is extremely useful when one wants to make the junctions during a Transistor because it acts as a masking layer that forestalls the Diffusion of the dopants within the regions it protects.In contrast Ge doesn't form this oxide layer on its surface so easily and therefore the technology to get The Gemanium devices is more complicated.
2) Second reason is that Si features a larger band –gap(0.7ev) than Ge (0.2ev).
This means that act an equivalent temperature the noise of the Si devices is
smaller than the noise of Ge devices and also that the reverse current of a contact is smaller for Si than for Ge.
3) Third reason is that Si is widely encountered in nature within the sort of sand , from which it's extracted by reduction will Carbon.
In contrast Ge is so easily found in nature, And when found is encountered only in chemical compounds that it forms because its high reactivity.
4) Fourth reason is that Ge has reverse break down voltage of 50-70v while Si can with get up to 100v.
While requiring the need to dam reverse voltage,it is advantageous to possess one which will with stand more voltage.
5) While high power applications are taken under consideration ,Si based devices can tolerate high power (more 50w),While Ge can survive application under 10w only.
6) THE MAIN REASON :As the air gap is a smaller amount in Ge,This is more sensitive to temperature (40-50 degree temperature variation is common on our earth ) so Si is preferd over Ge.
7) SI IS MUCH CHEAPER THAN GE, and Si is so easily find (it’s in sand ).
This is 100% currect.Learnt from IIT DELHI PROFFESOR
8) Si crystal are more adaptable to temperature than the Ge one.
9) Another impotant reason is that Si is a smaller amount expensive than the Ge ,as the staple for si is out there abundance .
10)The leakage current in Si is far lesser than Ge.