Answer to Question #25081 in Electric Circuits for SUKANTA KARMAKAR

Question

WHY IS A SILICON DIODE BETTER THAN A GERMANIUM DIODE IN RECTIFIER CIRCUIT?

Answer 1

Silicon diodes work betterin a wider spectrum of situations, i.e. they are more versatile and general-purpose. The fact that they are cheaper and easier to produce than Ge ones makes them the #1 choice. Si diodes are also more proof against damage. Still, in particular situations, Ge diodes are preferred, because their voltage bias is just 0.3 V and not 0.7 V as in Si diodes.

Germanium diodes are best used in low-power electrical circuits to be more efficient electrically, and are also appropriate for precision circuits, where voltage fluctuations must be kept to a minimum.