Why the conductivity of germanium is more than that of silicon at room temperature?

Why the conductivity of germanium is more than that of silicon at room temperature?

The potential Barrier of Silicon is more compared to Germanium which makes Ge more conductive as compared to Si. 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.

Why is germanium a good conductor of electricity?

Pure silicon and germanium are poor conductors of electricity because their outer electrons are tied up in the covalent bonds of the diamondlike framework. These atoms are larger and hold their electrons less tightly. They are not conductors in the metallic sense of the word, but are semiconductors.

Why is germanium a better conductor than silicon?

Each has four valence electrons, but germanium will at a given temperature have more free electrons and a higher conductivity. Silicon is by far the more widely used semiconductor for electronics, partly because it can be used at much higher temperatures than germanium.

Is graphite or silicon a better conductor?

Graphite, for example, has a melting point of more than 3,600°C. Variable electrical conductivity – diamond does not conduct electricity, whereas graphite contains free electrons so it does conduct electricity. Silicon is a semi-conductor – it is midway between non-conductive and conductive.

Is diamond a good conductor of electricity?

Most diamonds are electrical insulators and extremely efficient thermal conductors. Unlike many other minerals, the specific gravity of diamond crystals (3.52) has rather small variation from diamond to diamond.

Are diamonds bulletproof?

It doesn’t seem unreasonable to wonder whether diamonds are bulletproof, since diamond is the world’s hardest natural material. Diamonds are not however bulletproof in general, as while they are hard, they are not particularly tough and their brittleness will cause them to shatter when struck by a bullet.

Why can’t you break a diamond?

Diamond are vulnerable to chipping, fracturing, or even breaking apart along their cleavage lines. These are areas where the atoms are bonded less tightly together—so unless you’ve got a microscope handy, you won’t be able to see exactly where they are.