Polycrystalline Germanium
Polycrystalline Germanium (Ge) is a crystalline material composed of small crystals, typically ranging from 30 to 50 nanometers in diameter. It is a semiconductor material with an energy gap of approximately 0.7 electron volts. Germanium is used extensively in the electronics industry, and can also be utilized in optoelectronic and infrared applications.
Germanium is a metallic gray semiconductor material, with a melting point of 937.4 degrees Celsius and a boiling point of 2833 degrees Celsius. It has the chemical symbol Ge and an atomic number of 32. Germanium is the fourth most abundant element in the Earths crust, and is found in various mineral deposits.
The technology of growing polycrystalline Germanium can be divided into two categories: melt and remelt growth, and vapour phase growth process. The former uses a high-temperature furnace, which is used to melt the Ge crystals and allow them to grow by crystallizing from a melt. In the vapour phase process, Ge atoms are created by evaporation and taken up in a carrier gas, which is passed through the furnace, in order for the atoms to condense and form polycrystalline Ge.
Polycrystalline Germanium is an excellent semiconducting material, and is used in a variety of electronic applications including transistors, diodes, and circuit elements. It is also employed in optical systems, and as an infrared detector. Further applications include transducers and spectrometers, being particularly suited to the fabrication of sensors due to its high sensitivity.
The optical properties of polycrystalline Ge are very interesting, and can be exploited in various applications. The material exhibits high transparency over the visible spectrum, and can be used to fabricate lenses, mirrors, and other objects. Germanium can also exhibit a unique nonlinear optical property, termed birefringence, which is useful in the development of devices such as surface-emitting lasers. In addition, polycrystalline Germanium can be coated with a wide range of dielectric materials, and so has a wide range of possible applications in the electro-optic field.
Polycrystalline Germanium is an extremely versatile material and can be employed in a host of applications in industry and academia. Its wide range of optical, electronic, and electro-optic characteristics make this material a valuable component in many applications. Its relatively low cost and wide availability also make polycrystalline Germanium an ideal material for research, development, and commercial use.
