Why did silicon replace germanium as the main material for semiconductor devices?

Silicon replaced germanium as the primary material for semiconductor devices for several key reasons:

• Thermal Stability: Silicon devices exhibit much lower leakage currents at elevated temperatures compared to germanium. While germanium diodes generally cannot operate above 85 °C (185 °F), silicon diodes can function at temperatures up to 200 °C (400 °F).12
• Insulating Properties: Silicon forms a high-quality, tenaciously adhering oxide film (silicon dioxide) when heated in the presence of oxygen. This film serves as an essential mask during the manufacturing process, allowing for the precise introduction of impurities to create tiny transistors and integrated circuits.12
• Abundance and Cost: Silicon is significantly more abundant in the Earth's crust than germanium, making it a less expensive raw material for mass production.2

Although germanium was the dominant material in the early 1950s due to established purification methods, these advantages allowed silicon to virtually supplant it by the early 1960s, eventually constituting over 95 percent of all semiconductor products sold worldwide.12