▁circuit ▁manufact ure . ▁First , ▁sil icon ▁is ▁abund ant ▁and ▁cheap ▁to ▁process ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁sil icate ▁min er als . ▁The ▁econom ies ▁of ▁scale ▁available ▁to ▁the ▁sil icon ▁industry ▁has ▁also ▁h inder ed ▁the ▁ad option ▁of ▁Ga As . ▁ ▁In ▁addition , ▁a ▁Si ▁cry stal ▁has ▁a ▁very ▁stable ▁structure ▁and ▁can ▁be ▁grown ▁to ▁very ▁large ▁diameter ▁bou les ▁and ▁processed ▁with ▁very ▁good ▁yields . ▁It ▁is ▁also ▁a ▁fairly ▁good ▁thermal ▁conduct or , ▁thus ▁en abling ▁very ▁dense ▁pack ing ▁of ▁trans ist ors ▁that ▁need ▁to ▁get ▁rid ▁of ▁their ▁heat ▁of ▁operation , ▁all ▁very ▁des irable ▁for ▁design ▁and ▁manufact uring ▁of ▁very ▁large ▁IC s . ▁Such ▁good ▁mechanical ▁characteristics ▁also ▁make ▁it ▁a ▁suitable ▁material ▁for ▁the ▁rapidly ▁developing ▁field ▁of ▁n ano elect ron ics . ▁Natur ally , ▁a ▁Ga As ▁surface ▁cannot ▁with stand ▁the ▁high ▁temper atures ▁needed ▁for ▁diffusion ; ▁however ▁a ▁vi able ▁and ▁act ively ▁purs ued ▁alternative ▁as ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁was ▁ion ▁impl ant ation . ▁ ▁The ▁second ▁major ▁advantage ▁of ▁Si ▁is ▁the ▁existence ▁of ▁a ▁native ▁ox ide ▁( sil icon ▁dio x ide , ▁Si O 2 ), ▁which ▁is ▁used ▁as ▁an ▁ins ulator . ▁Sil icon ▁dio x ide ▁can ▁be ▁incorpor ated ▁onto ▁sil icon ▁circ uits ▁easily , ▁and ▁such ▁layers ▁are ▁ad her ent ▁to ▁the ▁underlying ▁sil icon .