What is Germanium?

When germanium is mixed with small amounts of arsenic or gallium, it becomes a crucial semiconductor material. Germanium’s importance springs from its uses in the fabrication of transistors, integrated circuits, and other electronic devices. Furthermore, new uses for germanium potentially lie in renewable energies, as technologies aim to increase the use of the metalloid, which already functions as a substrate of the wafers for high-efficiency multi-junction photovoltaic cells in aerospace applications. When germanium oxide is added to glass, it has the ability to increase the index of refraction, thus making it a key material in infrared optics. Germanium is also used in fiber optic systems and as a phosphor in fluorescent lamps.