Which of the following is an elemental semiconductor?
**Energy bands in semiconductors** consist of valence band filled at 0 K and conduction band empty, gap E_g small ~1 eV (Si 1.1 eV, Ge 0.7 eV), insulators large gap >3 eV (C diamond 5.4 eV), conductors overlapping. Intrinsic semiconductor at 0 K behaves as insulator because no thermal excitation, at T>0 K electrons jump to conduction band leaving holes, conductivity increases with temperature. Elemental semiconductors are pure elements like Si and Ge, while compound semiconductors (e.g., GaAs, CdS) consist of multiple elements. Among the options, Ge is elemental. Substituting values gives Ge,
Ref: NCERT > Physics Book > Electronic Devices > Semiconductors, Types and Energy Bands