Why is silicon less expensive than germanium for making semiconductor devices?

Silicon is less expensive than germanium primarily because it is significantly more abundant in the Earth's crust, making it a more accessible and cost-effective raw material for manufacturing semiconductor devices.1

While early transistors were produced using germanium, silicon became the preferred material by the 1960s due to its greater availability and superior performance characteristics. Beyond its lower cost, silicon offers several technical advantages over germanium:1

• Temperature Stability: Silicon devices can operate at much higher temperatures than those made of germanium. For instance, silicon diodes remain functional up to 200 °C (400 °F), whereas germanium diodes fail above 85 °C (185 °F).1
• Insulating Properties: When heated in the presence of oxygen, silicon forms a stable, high-quality silicon dioxide film that acts as an excellent electrical insulator. This film is essential for modern manufacturing, as it serves as a mask during the photolithographic process used to create complex integrated circuits.12
• Lower Leakage: Silicon devices exhibit much lower leakage currents, making them more reliable for a wide range of electronic applications.2