Ge
Germanium · Ge
Germanium is a stable, semiconducting chemical element widely utilized in the production of high-tech electronic and optical components.
About Germanium
Germanium is a fundamental semiconducting element that serves as a cornerstone of modern materials science. Its status as a thermodynamically stable phase ensures its reliability for complex fabrication processes, making it a highly researched material with an extensive library of structural data available to scientists.
Due to its unique electronic properties, this element is essential for advanced technologies requiring precise signal manipulation. It remains a primary choice for engineers developing high-speed electronics and infrared optics, where its consistent performance under various conditions is highly valued.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for Germanium, 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 Ge. 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 Ge, 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P43212 (No. 96) | tetragonal | 0.26 | 0.0000 | 0.138 | — |
| P43212 (No. 96) | tetragonal | 0.25 | 0.0000 | 0.138 | — |
| Fmmm (No. 69) | orthorhombic | 0.00 | 0.0000 | 0.249 | — |
| R-3 (No. 148) | trigonal | 0.00 | 0.0000 | 0.139 | — |
| P63/mmc (No. 194) | hexagonal | 0.00 | 0.0000 | 0.367 | — |
| P63/mmc (No. 194) | hexagonal | 0.00 | 0.0000 | 0.274 | — |
| I41/amd (No. 141) | tetragonal | 0.00 | 0.0000 | 0.244 | — |
| P63/mmc (No. 194) | hexagonal | 0.00 | 0.0000 | 0.010 | — |
| I41/amd (No. 141) | tetragonal | 0.00 | 0.0000 | 0.243 | — |
| Cmmm (No. 65) | orthorhombic | 0.00 | 0.0000 | 0.260 | — |
| I41/amd (No. 141) | tetragonal | 0.00 | 0.0000 | 0.244 | — |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.0000 | 0.000 | — |
Synthesis Routes
Literature-extracted synthesis procedures targeting Ge.
Applications
Where Germanium is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Germanium, answered from cross-validated data.
What is Ge?
Germanium is a stable, semiconducting chemical element widely utilized in the production of high-tech electronic and optical components.
What is Ge used for?
What is the band gap of Ge?
Is Ge a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is Ge thermodynamically stable?
What is the crystal structure of Ge?
What is the density of Ge?
How many polymorphs of Ge are known?
How is Ge synthesized?
What elements does Ge contain?
Where does the data for Ge come from?
How It Compares
As a foundational elemental semiconductor, germanium occupies a unique position in the periodic table, bridging the gap between lighter and heavier group-four elements. It is widely recognized for its distinct electronic behavior and structural robustness, serving as a benchmark material for the development of modern semiconductor physics.
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)
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