Silicon & Germanium

With silicon you can wateproof your shower or kitchen, and geranium is a nice somewhat smelly flower.

Silicone has other, um, "interesting" uses, too.

Pretty.

As electronic items? The semiconductor properties are different: Ge is slightly faster and has lower tolerance for high temperatures, and the Si is more rugged, and far far cheaper per pound. Si also has a stable oxide, and nitride, which simplifies some kinds of processing.

Silicon transistors and such are much easier to get, and I don't think a geranium IC has ever even been made.

Hope This Helps! Rich

silicon costs $10 per kg. germanium is $800 per kg, silicon dioxide has a thermal expansion coefficient close to that of silicon, so ICs do not flake apart as the temperature changes. germanium is not as good in that regard.

Silicon has lower temp drift Silicon has lower leak current

From the end-user's POV, Si devices have much lower leakages and can operate at higher temperatures than Ge.