Germanium Telluride

Germanium Telluride sputtering targets are dark gray or black lumps or flakes with specific physicochemical properties with the chemical formula GeTe. They are used in the fields of electronics, phase-change storage, thermoelectric materials, infrared detection and so on.

Properties

Chemical formula: GeTe.

Molecular weight: about 185.21.

Appearance: It is usually in the form of dark gray or black lumps or flakes, with a certain metallic luster on the surface. The color and luster are mainly due to its crystal structure and chemical bonding properties, which make its reflection and absorption of light show a specific performance.

Density: The density is about 6.24 g/cm³, the relatively high density makes it better able to withstand ion bombardment in the sputtering process, reduces the deformation of the target material and spattering caused by sputtering, and is conducive to the improvement of the uniformity and quality of sputtered films.

Melting point: the melting point is around 725°C. The high melting point means that the target can maintain a stable solid state under normal sputtering conditions, providing a stable source of material for the sputtering process and ensuring the growth of sputtered films with good controllability.

Stability: Germanium Telluride sputtering targets have good chemical stability at room temperature and pressure, but their chemical activity is enhanced and they are susceptible to chemical reactions in certain environments such as high temperatures, strong oxidation or strong acids and bases. For example, when heated to a certain temperature in air, an oxidizing reaction with oxygen may occur, thus affecting its properties and structure.

Oxidizing and Reducing Properties: Both germanium and tellurium elements in Germanium Telluride have certain oxidizing and reducing properties, which enable it to participate in a variety of redox reactions. In some chemical reactions, it can be used as an oxidizing or reducing agent, reacting with other substances to generate the corresponding compounds. This property provides the basis for its use in material synthesis and chemical modification.

Reaction with acid and alkali: Germanium Telluride can react with some strong acids and alkalis to generate corresponding compounds such as germanium salt and tellurium salt. Therefore, it is necessary to avoid contacting with corrosive substances such as acid and alkali in the process of use and treatment, in order to prevent the target from being corroded and damaged, which will affect the sputtering effect and service life.

Applications

Electronic devices: It is one of the key materials for manufacturing semiconductor devices, and can be used to prepare thin-film transistors, memories, logic circuits and so on. Its unique electrical properties, such as suitable forbidden band width, high carrier mobility, etc., can meet the demand for high-performance materials for modern electronic devices, and help to realize the miniaturization, high-speed and low-power consumption of electronic devices.

Phase Change Storage: In phase change memory, Germanium Telluride, as an important component of phase change materials, can undergo rapid crystalline and amorphous transitions at different temperatures and electric fields, thus realizing data storage and reading. This storage technology based on the phase transition principle has the advantages of fast read/write speed, high storage density and non-volatility, which is one of the important development directions of the next generation storage technology.

Thermoelectric material: Germanium Telluride has certain thermoelectric properties and can be used as thermoelectric material in the fields of temperature difference power generation and thermoelectric refrigeration. It can convert thermal energy into electrical energy or use electrical energy to realize the cooling effect, which has potential application value in energy recovery, waste heat utilization and small-scale refrigeration equipment, etc., and helps to improve the efficiency of energy utilization and realize the development of green energy.

Infrared detection: Germanium Telluride can be used to manufacture infrared detectors due to its good absorption and response to infrared light. In military, security, environmental monitoring and other fields, infrared detectors can realize non-contact detection and imaging of target objects, with good concealment, strong anti-interference ability and other advantages, which is of great significance for safeguarding national security and social stability.