GeBr4
Germanium tetrabromide · Germanium(IV) bromide
Germanium tetrabromide is a stable, insulating halide compound primarily used as a chemical precursor in the production of semiconductor materials.
About Germanium tetrabromide
Germanium tetrabromide is a thermodynamically stable inorganic halide that exists as a wide-gap insulator. Its chemical behavior is defined by its ability to serve as a volatile source of germanium in specialized synthesis environments, making it a critical component for high-purity material fabrication. The compound is frequently utilized in chemical vapor deposition processes where precise control over germanium deposition is required. Its structural stability and electronic properties allow it to function effectively in the growth of advanced thin-film semiconductors and related electronic components.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for Germanium tetrabromide, aggregated across 3 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 GeBr4. 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 GeBr4, 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | 3.00 | 0.0000 | -0.885 | — |
| Pa-3 (No. 205) | cubic | 2.96 | 0.0000 | -3.296 | 3.60 |
| P21/c (No. 14) | monoclinic | 2.54 | 0.0000 | -0.598 | — |
| P21/c (No. 14) | monoclinic | 2.96 | 0.0010 | -3.295 | 3.50 |
| — | — | 2.97 | 0.0013 | -0.883 | — |
| — | — | 2.88 | 0.0073 | -0.877 | — |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.4096 | -0.475 | — |
| P1 (No. 1) | triclinic | — | — | — | 4.30 |
| C2/m (No. 12) | monoclinic | — | — | — | 4.75 |
| P1 (No. 1) | triclinic | — | — | — | 5.33 |
| P21/c (No. 14) | monoclinic | — | — | — | 2.94 |
| Pm (No. 6) | monoclinic | — | — | — | 4.52 |
Applications
Where Germanium tetrabromide is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Germanium tetrabromide, answered from cross-validated data.
What is GeBr4?
Germanium tetrabromide is a stable, insulating halide compound primarily used as a chemical precursor in the production of semiconductor materials.
What is GeBr4 used for?
What is the band gap of GeBr4?
Is GeBr4 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is GeBr4 thermodynamically stable?
What is the crystal structure of GeBr4?
What is the density of GeBr4?
How many polymorphs of GeBr4 are known?
What elements does GeBr4 contain?
Where does the data for GeBr4 come from?
How It Compares
As a primary germanium halide, this compound serves as a fundamental building block in inorganic synthesis, providing a stable and reliable pathway for introducing germanium into complex material systems where insulating properties are required.
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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