What is a germanium diode, its basic structure, performance parameters, working principle, application examples, differences and development history between germanium and silicon diodes 3

5、 The difference between germanium and silicon diodes:

1. Material: Germanium diodes are made of germanium material, while silicon diodes are made of silicon material.

2. Bandgap width: The bandgap width of germanium diodes is about 0.67 eV, while that of silicon diodes is about 1.1 eV. The smaller bandgap width of germanium diodes results in higher conductivity at low voltages.

3. Temperature characteristics: The resistance of germanium  diodes varies greatly with temperature, while the resistance of silicon diodes varies less with temperature.

4. Price: Due to the widespread use and mature manufacturing processes of silicon materials, the price of silicon  diodes is relatively low, while the price of germanium diodes is relatively high.

6、 Development history:

Early semiconductor devices were mainly manufactured using germanium materials. However, with the development of silicon materials and the maturity of manufacturing processes, silicon diodes have gradually replaced the position of germanium diodes. Silicon materials have a large bandgap and good temperature characteristics, making silicon diodes more suitable for large-scale production and application. Therefore, the application scope of germanium  diodes is gradually narrowing, and they are currently mainly used in some special fields, such as electronic devices in high-temperature environments and certain RF applications.