Are semiconductor devices made with silicon or germanium?

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Semiconductor devices are made from a variety of materials, including silicon, germanium, and even carbon. Silicon is the most popular material for semiconductor devices, due to its abundance and its relatively low cost. Germanium is also used in semiconductor devices, but it is not as common as silicon.

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The main difference between silicon and germanium is that silicon is much more abundant than germanium. This makes silicon the obvious choice for semiconductor device manufacture. The reason that germanium is not as popular is that it is a much less stable element, meaning that it is much more likely to degrade over time.

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There are a few key reasons why silicon is used more often than germanium in semiconductor devices.

First, silicon can be found more abundantly in nature compared to germanium. This means that it is less expensive to use silicon as a starting material for semiconductor devices.

Second, silicon has a much higher melting point than germanium. This makes it possible to create very pure silicon crystals, which are necessary for semiconductor devices.

Third, silicon can be used to create very small and intricate structures using advanced lithography techniques. This is not possible with germanium.

Finally, silicon has better electrical properties than germanium, which makes it a better choice for semiconductor devices.