GeTe
Germanium telluride · GeTe
Germanium telluride is a semiconducting phase-change material widely utilized for its ability to store data through rapid structural switching.
About Germanium telluride
Germanium telluride is a semiconducting binary compound that serves as a cornerstone of phase-change memory technology. Its ability to undergo rapid, reversible structural transitions between amorphous and crystalline states makes it essential for high-speed data storage applications.
As a thermodynamically stable phase, it exhibits robust performance characteristics that are highly sought after in modern electronics. With an extensive library of reported structures across scientific databases, it remains one of the most thoroughly investigated materials in its class for next-generation memory architectures.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for Germanium telluride, 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 GeTe. 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 GeTe, 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | 0.75 | 0.0000 | -0.088 | — |
| R3m (No. 160) | trigonal | 0.75 | 0.0000 | -0.110 | — |
| R3m (No. 160) | trigonal | 0.56 | 0.0000 | -19.680 | 5.95 |
| Fm-3m (No. 225) | cubic | 0.44 | 0.0004 | -0.110 | — |
| — | — | 0.44 | 0.0148 | -0.073 | — |
| — | — | 0.63 | 0.0148 | -0.073 | — |
| — | — | 0.51 | 0.0150 | -0.073 | — |
| — | — | 0.51 | 0.0152 | -0.073 | — |
| — | — | 0.51 | 0.0157 | -0.072 | — |
| Pnma (No. 62) | orthorhombic | 0.64 | 0.0161 | -0.094 | — |
| Fm-3m (No. 225) | cubic | 0.50 | 0.0183 | -0.092 | — |
| Fm-3m (No. 225) | cubic | 0.49 | 0.0185 | -0.092 | — |
Synthesis Routes
Literature-extracted synthesis procedures targeting GeTe.
Applications
Where Germanium telluride is used.
Patent Landscape
1 patent reference GeTe or close compositional variants.
| Patent | Title | Assignee | Granted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3945855 | Thermoelectric device including an alloy of GeTe and AgSbTe as the P-type element | — | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Germanium telluride, answered from cross-validated data.
What is GeTe?
Germanium telluride is a semiconducting phase-change material widely utilized for its ability to store data through rapid structural switching.
What is GeTe used for?
What is the band gap of GeTe?
Is GeTe a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is GeTe thermodynamically stable?
What is the crystal structure of GeTe?
How many polymorphs of GeTe are known?
How is GeTe synthesized?
What elements does GeTe contain?
Where does the data for GeTe come from?
How It Compares
Within the phase-change memory materials class.
Compared to complex alloys like Ge2Sb2Te5, GeTe offers a simpler binary composition that provides distinct advantages in thermal stability and switching kinetics. While materials such as Sb2Te3 are often utilized for their specific thermoelectric or topological properties, GeTe is primarily distinguished by its superior performance in phase-change memory applications where high-speed switching is critical.
Related Compounds
Other Phase-Change Memory Materials in the database.
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)
- jarvis — Data from JARVIS (jarvis.nist.gov), NIST. Cite: Choudhary et al., npj Comp. Mater. 6, 173 (2020). (LicenseRef-US-Gov-PD)
- 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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