SbTe
SbTe is a metallic, synthesizable phase-change material used in the research and development of high-performance non-volatile memory technologies.
About SbTe
SbTe is a metallic compound within the phase-change memory material class, characterized by its structural flexibility and proximity to thermodynamic stability. Its metallic electronic nature distinguishes it from many semiconducting chalcogenides, making it a compelling subject for studying phase transition kinetics in thin-film devices.
This material is primarily investigated for its role in high-speed data storage technologies. Given its ability to exist in numerous structural configurations, it serves as a critical candidate for researchers aiming to optimize the switching performance and endurance of non-volatile memory architectures.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for SbTe, aggregated across 4 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 SbTe. 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 SbTe, 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P-3m1 (No. 164) | trigonal | 0.08 | 0.0023 | -0.107 | — |
| — | — | 0.33 | 0.0030 | -0.104 | — |
| P-3m1 (No. 164) | trigonal | 0.00 | 0.0087 | -3.950 | 6.20 |
| Fm-3m (No. 225) | cubic | 0.00 | 0.1116 | 0.003 | — |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.1205 | 0.013 | — |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.1248 | 0.018 | — |
| R-3m (No. 166) | trigonal | 0.00 | 0.1447 | -3.814 | 6.69 |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.2255 | 0.119 | — |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.2929 | 0.186 | — |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.2930 | 0.186 | — |
| Pm-3m (No. 221) | cubic | 0.00 | 0.3086 | -3.650 | 7.39 |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.3129 | 0.206 | — |
Applications
Where SbTe is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about SbTe, answered from cross-validated data.
What is SbTe?
SbTe is a metallic, synthesizable phase-change material used in the research and development of high-performance non-volatile memory technologies.
What is SbTe used for?
What is the band gap of SbTe?
Is SbTe a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is SbTe thermodynamically stable?
What is the crystal structure of SbTe?
How many polymorphs of SbTe are known?
What elements does SbTe contain?
Where does the data for SbTe come from?
How It Compares
Within the phase-change memory materials class.
Within the landscape of phase-change materials, SbTe occupies a unique niche compared to more common binary systems like Sb2Te3 or GeTe. While GeTe is widely recognized for its robust switching properties in industrial memory applications, SbTe offers a different electronic profile that provides researchers with a broader design space for tuning the metallic-to-insulating transition behaviors essential for advanced memory cells.
Related Compounds
Other Phase-Change Memory Materials in the database.
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)
- mpaloe — Data from MP-ALOE. Cite: Kuner et al., npj Comput. Mater. (2025), doi:10.1038/s41524-025-01834-9.
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