Semiconductor of the Week (Wk. 8)
A semiconductor has electrical conductivity somewhere between a conductor and an insulator. Sometimes it conducts, sometimes it doesn't. This is an important feature in technology. One such semiconductor is Germanium (Ge,) atomic #32.
Ge is chemically similar to tin, and has the same crystal structures as diamond. (Never thought I'd compare something to 'tin' and 'diamond'!) Some diamonds can actually be used as semiconductors- but I guess that can get expensive... Ge is found in coal and zinc ores. ($1.24 per gram) It was commonly used in transistors from the 50s thru the 70s, until silicon's popularity grew in the market. It is still used in fiber optics and infrared night vision. A fun fact from Wikipedia- guitarists who want that 'fuzzy' early rock tone can seek out vintage effects pedals that contain germanium transistors. I'll have to ask my husband about that!