Ag2Te
Hessite · Silver telluride
Ag2Te is a stable, semimetallic silver telluride compound widely investigated for its potential role in phase-change memory and high-performance electronic switching.
About Hessite
Ag2Te is a thermodynamically stable compound that sits prominently on the convex hull, marking it as a robust candidate for material science applications. Its near-zero-gap electronic character classifies it as a semimetal, providing unique conductive properties that are highly valued in the development of next-generation phase-change memory technologies.
This material is part of a diverse family of telluride-based compounds used in resistive switching and data storage. Its structural versatility is evidenced by the large number of reported configurations, making it a subject of significant interest for researchers aiming to optimize phase-transition kinetics in non-volatile memory architectures.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for Hessite, aggregated across 6 databases.
Band GapEnergy needed to move an electron from the valence band to the conduction band. Lower or zero values tend to behave more metallic; larger gaps are more insulating or semiconducting.
Energy Above HullThermodynamic distance from the most stable set of competing phases. 0 eV/atom is on the convex hull; small positive values may still be experimentally accessible.
StabilityA plain-language summary of the best reported energy-above-hull result. It reflects whether the lowest-energy structure is on, near, or far from the stability hull.
StructuresCount of reported calculated crystal structures for this formula, including alternate polymorphs, source databases, and observed space groups.
Cross-Source DFT Agreement
How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of Ag2Te. Tight agreement means computed properties can be trusted without re-running calculations.
Agreement ScoreA normalized confidence score summarizing how closely independent DFT databases agree. Higher scores mean tighter cross-source agreement.
Hull SpreadDifference between the highest and lowest energy-above-hull values reported by comparable sources. Smaller spread means less thermodynamic disagreement.
Sources ComparedNumber and names of computational sources with comparable entries for this formula.
Space Group ConsensusWhether independent sources predict the same crystal symmetry for the lowest-energy structure.
Reported Structures
Lowest-energy structures reported for Ag2Te, ranked by energy above hull.
| Space GroupSymmetry classification of the crystal arrangement. The number is the international space-group index. | Crystal SystemBroad lattice family, such as cubic, tetragonal, monoclinic, or triclinic, derived from unit-cell symmetry. | Band Gap (eV)Electronic gap calculated for this specific reported structure, measured in electronvolts. | E above hull (eV/atom)Thermodynamic distance from the convex hull for this structure, normalized per atom. Lower is generally more stable. | E/atom (eV)Computed total energy normalized per atom. Use energy above hull, not this value alone, when comparing stability. | Density (g/cm³)Mass per relaxed crystal volume, reported in grams per cubic centimeter. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P21/c (No. 14) | monoclinic | 0.00 | 0.0000 | -0.034 | — |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.0000 | -0.065 | — |
| P21/c (No. 14) | monoclinic | 0.00 | 0.0000 | -22.805 | 8.25 |
| — | — | 0.15 | 0.0100 | -0.055 | — |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.0301 | -0.035 | — |
| Pc (No. 7) | monoclinic | 0.00 | 0.0361 | -22.769 | 7.23 |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.0365 | -0.029 | — |
| Cmce (No. 64) | orthorhombic | 0.00 | 0.0420 | -22.763 | 7.96 |
| I4/mmm (No. 139) | tetragonal | 0.00 | 0.0435 | -22.761 | 7.63 |
| Cmce (No. 64) | orthorhombic | 0.00 | 0.0472 | 0.014 | — |
| I4/mmm (No. 139) | tetragonal | 0.00 | 0.0551 | 0.021 | — |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.0571 | -0.008 | — |
Synthesis Routes
Literature-extracted synthesis procedures targeting Ag2Te.
Applications
Where Hessite is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Hessite, answered from cross-validated data.
What is Ag2Te?
Ag2Te is a stable, semimetallic silver telluride compound widely investigated for its potential role in phase-change memory and high-performance electronic switching.
What is Ag2Te used for?
What is the band gap of Ag2Te?
Is Ag2Te a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is Ag2Te thermodynamically stable?
What is the crystal structure of Ag2Te?
How many polymorphs of Ag2Te are known?
How is Ag2Te synthesized?
What elements does Ag2Te contain?
Where does the data for Ag2Te come from?
How It Compares
Within the phase-change memory materials class.
Within the broader class of phase-change memory materials, Ag2Te distinguishes itself from common binary and ternary systems like GeTe or Ge2Sb2Te5 through its distinct semimetallic electronic profile. While many of its siblings are characterized by semiconducting behavior that facilitates clear amorphous-to-crystalline switching, Ag2Te offers a unique electronic landscape that complements the performance of materials like Sb2Te3 in specialized electronic device applications.
Related Compounds
Other Phase-Change Memory Materials in the database.
Data sources & attribution
- jarvis — Data from JARVIS (jarvis.nist.gov), NIST. Cite: Choudhary et al., npj Comp. Mater. 6, 173 (2020). (LicenseRef-US-Gov-PD)
- oqmd — Data from the OQMD (oqmd.org). Cite: Saal et al., JOM 65, 1501 (2013); Kirklin et al., npj Comp. Mater. 1, 15010 (2015). (CC-BY-4.0)
- materials_project — Data from the Materials Project (materialsproject.org). Cite: Jain et al., APL Materials 1, 011002 (2013). (CC-BY-4.0)
- mpaloe — Data from MP-ALOE. Cite: Kuner et al., npj Comput. Mater. (2025), doi:10.1038/s41524-025-01834-9.
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