Ge3N4
germanium nitride · trigermanium tetranitride
Germanium nitride is a stable, semiconducting binary compound of germanium and nitrogen that is widely studied for its diverse structural configurations.
About germanium nitride
Germanium nitride is a binary compound composed of germanium and nitrogen. As a thermodynamically stable material located on the convex hull, it represents a robust phase within the germanium-nitrogen system. Its semiconducting electronic character makes it an intriguing candidate for specialized electronic and optoelectronic components where precise band structure control is required. The material is characterized by a high degree of structural diversity, with numerous reported configurations documented across various databases. This structural richness highlights its versatility and the significant interest it has garnered in materials research for potential deployment in high-performance device architectures.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for germanium nitride, aggregated across 5 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 Ge3N4. 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 Ge3N4, 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | 2.26 | 0.0000 | -0.160 | — |
| P31c (No. 159) | trigonal | 2.08 | 0.0000 | -11.354 | 5.22 |
| P63/m (No. 176) | hexagonal | 1.99 | 0.0000 | -0.090 | — |
| P63/m (No. 176) | hexagonal | 1.90 | 0.0002 | -11.354 | 5.26 |
| — | — | 2.38 | 0.0005 | -0.159 | — |
| — | — | 2.48 | 0.0013 | -0.158 | — |
| I-43d (No. 220) | cubic | 1.75 | 0.0413 | -0.049 | — |
| — | — | 1.89 | 0.0608 | -0.099 | — |
| I-43d (No. 220) | cubic | 1.62 | 0.0635 | -11.291 | 5.60 |
| Fd-3m (No. 227) | cubic | 2.00 | 0.0699 | -0.020 | — |
| — | — | 2.32 | 0.1063 | -0.053 | — |
| Fd-3m (No. 227) | cubic | 1.93 | 0.1087 | -11.245 | 6.34 |
Applications
Where germanium nitride is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about germanium nitride, answered from cross-validated data.
What is Ge3N4?
Germanium nitride is a stable, semiconducting binary compound of germanium and nitrogen that is widely studied for its diverse structural configurations.
What is Ge3N4 used for?
What is the band gap of Ge3N4?
Is Ge3N4 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is Ge3N4 thermodynamically stable?
What is the crystal structure of Ge3N4?
How many polymorphs of Ge3N4 are known?
What elements does Ge3N4 contain?
Where does the data for Ge3N4 come from?
How It Compares
As a distinct binary nitride, germanium nitride serves as a foundational material in its class, offering unique semiconducting properties that differentiate it from more common oxide or carbide counterparts. Its stability and structural flexibility allow it to function as a primary subject for investigating nitride-based semiconductor physics.
Data sources & attribution
- 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)
- jarvis — Data from JARVIS (jarvis.nist.gov), NIST. Cite: Choudhary et al., npj Comp. Mater. 6, 173 (2020). (LicenseRef-US-Gov-PD)
- mpaloe — Data from MP-ALOE. Cite: Kuner et al., npj Comput. Mater. (2025), doi:10.1038/s41524-025-01834-9.
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