Sb2Te3
Antimony telluride · Antimony(III) telluride
Antimony telluride is a stable semiconducting compound widely utilized in phase-change memory and thermoelectric technologies.
About Antimony telluride
Antimony telluride is a thermodynamically stable semiconducting compound that serves as a foundational material in the study of phase-change memory technologies. Its well-defined structural characteristics and electronic behavior make it a critical subject for researchers investigating high-performance non-volatile memory architectures.
Beyond its role in memory storage, this material is highly valued for its thermoelectric properties. Its ability to maintain structural integrity while facilitating efficient charge transport allows it to function effectively in complex electronic systems where reliability and performance are paramount.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for Antimony 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 Sb2Te3. 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 Sb2Te3, 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | 0.20 | 0.0000 | -0.128 | — |
| R-3m (No. 166) | trigonal | 0.16 | 0.0000 | -3.921 | 6.12 |
| R-3m (No. 166) | trigonal | 0.04 | 0.0000 | -0.131 | — |
| — | — | 0.52 | 0.0348 | -0.094 | — |
| C2/m (No. 12) | monoclinic | 0.00 | 0.0403 | -3.880 | 5.91 |
| C2/m (No. 12) | monoclinic | 0.11 | 0.0420 | -0.089 | — |
| C2/m (No. 12) | monoclinic | 0.11 | 0.0420 | -0.089 | — |
| C2/m (No. 12) | monoclinic | 0.11 | 0.0420 | -0.089 | — |
| — | — | 0.13 | 0.0507 | -0.078 | — |
| C2/c (No. 15) | monoclinic | 0.00 | 0.1134 | -0.017 | — |
| Immm (No. 71) | orthorhombic | 0.00 | 0.1281 | -3.793 | 6.46 |
| C2/c (No. 15) | monoclinic | 0.00 | 0.1323 | -3.788 | 6.50 |
Synthesis Routes
Literature-extracted synthesis procedures targeting Sb2Te3.
Applications
Where Antimony telluride is used.
Patent Landscape
1 patent reference Sb2Te3 or close compositional variants.
| Patent | Title | Assignee | Granted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9209374 | Method for preparing and use of Sb2Te3 nanocrystals in thermoelectric materials | — | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Antimony telluride, answered from cross-validated data.
What is Sb2Te3?
Antimony telluride is a stable semiconducting compound widely utilized in phase-change memory and thermoelectric technologies.
What is Sb2Te3 used for?
What is the band gap of Sb2Te3?
Is Sb2Te3 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is Sb2Te3 thermodynamically stable?
What is the crystal structure of Sb2Te3?
What is the density of Sb2Te3?
How many polymorphs of Sb2Te3 are known?
How is Sb2Te3 synthesized?
What elements does Sb2Te3 contain?
Where does the data for Sb2Te3 come from?
How It Compares
Within the phase-change memory materials class.
Within the diverse family of phase-change materials, Sb2Te3 is distinguished by its high thermodynamic stability compared to more complex systems like Ge2Sb2Te5. While GeTe is often favored for its rapid switching kinetics, Sb2Te3 provides a more robust structural baseline, often serving as a critical component in alloyed thin films to optimize the balance between thermal stability and switching speed.
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)
- 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)
- aflow — Data from AFLOW (aflow.org). Cite: Curtarolo et al., Comp. Mater. Sci. 58, 218 (2012). (CC-BY-4.0)
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