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Is germanium still used in semiconductors?
Pure germanium is a semiconductor with an appearance similar to elemental silicon. Elemental germanium is used as a semiconductor in transistors and various other electronic devices.
Is germanium still used?
It was the material used for building early transistors. But ever since silicon got discovered, it became the material of choice for memory and logic chips. Thanks to today’s advanced fabrication technology, the Germanium wafer is making a comeback and is now considered a competitive material for making chips.
Which material is used for fabrication of IC?
The substrate material, or base wafer, on which ICs are built is a semiconductor, such as silicon or gallium arsenide. In order to obtain consistent performance, the semiconductor must be extremely pure and a single crystal.
What is inside IC chip?
Integrated circuit (IC), also called microelectronic circuit, microchip, or chip, an assembly of electronic components, fabricated as a single unit, in which miniaturized active devices (e.g., transistors and diodes) and passive devices (e.g., capacitors and resistors) and their interconnections are built up on a thin …
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.
Why is silicon usually preferred over germanium for fabrication of?
At room temperature, a silicon crystal has fewer free electrons than a germanium crystal. This implies that silicon will have much smaller collector cut off current ( ICBO) than that of germanium. In general, with germanium, ICBO is 10 to 100 times greater than with silicon.
What happens to germanium as the temperature rises?
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. The structure of germanium will be destroyed at a temperature of approximately 100°C.
Are there any biological uses for germanium ores?
Germanium has no known biological role. The element is non-toxic. Certain germanium compounds have low toxicity in mammals, while being effective against some bacteria. This has led some scientists to study their potential use in pharmaceuticals. Germanium ores are very rare.