Eli5: Why is silicon such a prevalent element in electronics?

Question

I study engineering and when learning about all types of electronics, I always hear about silicon being used. What’s so special about it?

Additionally, I just read about a new particle accelerator which is the size of a penny, which also uses a silicon channel to accelerate the particle. What’s so special about silicon?

Thanks in advance

In: Physics

Answer 1

Its main advantage is that it has an amazing oxide, Si02. Incredible easy to grow on Si itself, has no lattice with Si itself, same temperature coefficient, incredibly well behaved and very easy to grow very uniformly. It’s just so amazing that it makes it very easy to make highly reliable transistors.