Question

Why Silicon is the most widely used semi conductive material. Compare Silicon (Si) atom with a
Germanium (Ge) atom ?

Answer 1

Question#47212 – Chemistry – Other

Question:

Why Silicon is the most widely used semi conductive material. Compare Silicon (Si) atom with a Germanium (Ge) atom?

Answer:

Silicon prevailed because it has superior physical and technological properties compared to the other semiconductor materials.

- Silicon is abundant in the earth crest as an ore in the form of quartzite,

- There are effective extraction and purification methods of silicon from its raw material.

- there are effective and economical crystallization methods for silicon.

- Silicon crystallizes in a diamond form with relatively strong bond gaining the crystals relatively strong mechanical properties which is advantageous for mechanical handling and processing.

- The energy gap of silicon is moderate resulting in an intrinsic concentration of about one $10^{\wedge}10 / \mathrm{cm}^{\wedge}3$. Which is relatively low leading to small leakage currents.

- The maximum solid solubility of dopants is about $10^{\wedge}21 / \mathrm{cm}3$. Therefore one can change the carrier type and concentration in a very large range for optimum operation of the devices.

- Easy doping by the suitable impurities. Development of powerful doping technologies

- Silicon dioxide has very superior characteristics enabled the planar technology one of the marking stone in semiconductor industry.

- Silicon dioxide is a building layer in the MOS devices which revolutionized the integrated circuits especially the digital ones.

- Silicon dioxide is used also as an insulator and passivation layer.

- Silicon has efficient response to solar radiation and light.

- Silicon has relatively high dielectric strength and therefore is suitable for power devices.

Silicon has a larger bandgap energy than germanium, which contributes to higher junction potentials and ability to operate at higher temperatures.

Silicon and Germanium atoms: