The leakage current in a silicon transistor is about ___________ the leakage current in a germanium transistor

One hundredth
One tenth
One thousandth
One millionth

The correct answer is: A. One hundredth.

Germanium transistors have a higher leakage current than silicon transistors. This is because germanium has a higher electron affinity than silicon. Electron affinity is the energy required to remove an electron from a neutral atom. The higher the electron affinity, the more likely it is that an electron will be able to escape from the atom. This means that germanium transistors are more likely to have leakage current than silicon transistors.

The leakage current in a silicon transistor is about one hundredth the leakage current in a germanium transistor. This means that for every 100 electrons that leak from a silicon transistor, only 1 electron will leak from a germanium transistor.

The leakage current of a transistor is an important factor to consider when designing circuits. A high leakage current can cause problems such as noise and instability. Therefore, it is important to choose the right type of transistor for the application.

Here is a brief explanation of each option:

  • Option A: One hundredth. This is the correct answer. As explained above, the leakage current in a silicon transistor is about one hundredth the leakage current in a germanium transistor.
  • Option B: One tenth. This is incorrect. The leakage current in a silicon transistor is about one hundredth the leakage current in a germanium transistor, not one tenth.
  • Option C: One thousandth. This is incorrect. The leakage current in a silicon transistor is about one hundredth the leakage current in a germanium transistor, not one thousandth.
  • Option D: One millionth. This is incorrect. The leakage current in a silicon transistor is about one hundredth the leakage current in a germanium transistor, not one millionth.