However, the germanium diode has one major advantage over Si. Ge has higher electron and hole mobility and because of this Ge devices can function up to a higher frequency than Si devices. The germanium diode is also superior to silicon diode in terms of energy loss, current loss, etc.
What are the advantages of germanium?
Advantages of Germanium Detectors
Germanium is preferred due to its atomic number being much higher than silicon and which increases the probability of gamma ray interaction . Germanium has lower average energy necessary to create an electron-hole pair, which is 3.6 eV for silicon and 2.9 eV for germanium.
What is the difference between germanium and silicon diode?
A Silicon Diode is a semiconductor that has both positive and negative charge polarity and can allow an electrical current to flow in one direction whilst restricting another. A Germanium Diode works in the same way but has a low forward voltage which results in it being a low power loss and an efficient diode.
Is germanium preferred over silicon for making semiconductor devices?
The energy gap for germanium is less (0. 72eV) than the energy gap of silicon (1. ... Therefore, silicon is preferred over germanium for making semiconductor devices.
When compared to a germanium diode a silicon diode reverse saturation current is?
The Si diode has low reverse current compared to Ge. The Si diode has a large reverse breakdown voltage of about 70-100V compared to Ge which has the reverse breakdown voltage around 50V. The structure of Germanium crystals will be destroyed at a higher temperature.
Which is better silicon or germanium?
In present, Silicon is preferred over Germanium for semiconductor . The reason is, Silicon can be worked at a higher temperature as compared to germanium. ... The structure of Germanium crystals will be destroyed at higher temperature.
Is zener a diode?
A Zener diode is a silicon semiconductor device that permits current to flow in either a forward or reverse direction. The diode consists of a special, heavily doped p-n junction, designed to conduct in the reverse direction when a certain specified voltage is reached.
What are the disadvantages of germanium?
Germanium has disadvantages in addition to the need for cooling: energy resolution is sensitive to radiation damage (a feature common to all semiconductor diode-type detectors) and efficiency is low for higher energy gamma rays.
Why is the silicon mostly chosen when compared to germanium because of?
Summary: 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.
How can pure germanium support a current flow?
How can pure germanium support a current flow? – Quora. Pure germanium is semi conducting material. The electrical activity in semiconductor material is highly dependent on temperature. At extremely low temperatures, valence electrons are held tightly to the parent atom through the covalent bond .
Why is germanium preferred?
Answer: The potential Barrier of Silicon is more compared to Germanium which makes Ge more conductive as compared to Si. ... The variation of Collector cut off current with temperature is less in Silicon compared to Germanium. The structure of Germanium crystals will be destroyed at higher temperature.
Why is Si preferred over GE?
The structure of Germanium crystals will be destroyed at higher temperature . However, Silicon crystals are not easily damaged by excess heat. Peak Inverse Voltage ratings of Silicon diodes are greater than Germanium diodes. Si is less expensive due to the greater abundance of element.
Why silicon is used in semiconductor?
Silicon, a very common element, is used as the raw material of semiconductors because of its stable structure . Purification of Silicon consumes large amounts of power. In Japan, refined Silicon (ingot) with purity of at least 98% is imported from Australia, China and Brazil, where electricity is relatively inexpensive.
What is the reverse saturation current in silicon diode?
A diode helps in the rectification of the current, that is, to direct the current to one side. Reverse saturation current of a diode is caused by the minority charge carriers of each region of the diode . Complete step-by-step answer: For creating a diode, two small crystals of a semiconductor are taken, e.g. Silicon.
What is the reverse saturation current in silicon?
The reverse saturation current of a silicon diode is of the order of nano amperes (nA) . ∴ The silicon diode is operated as a good switch. The reverse saturation current of a Germanium diode is of the orders of micro-amperes (μA).
Is a diode a semiconductor?
A diode is a semiconductor device that essentially acts as a one-way switch for current. It allows current to flow easily in one direction, but severely restricts current from flowing in the opposite direction. ... When a diode allows current flow, it is forward-biased.
