SiO2
silica · silicon dioxide
Silica is a ubiquitous, stable insulating compound that forms the basis of glass, ceramics, and modern semiconductor electronics.
About silica
Silica is a highly stable inorganic compound that serves as the backbone for much of modern materials science. Its electronic character as a wide-gap insulator makes it an indispensable dielectric material in semiconductor manufacturing and high-performance electronic components.
Beyond its electrical properties, this compound is remarkably versatile due to its structural diversity. It exists in numerous crystalline and amorphous forms, providing the foundation for everything from optical fibers and precision lenses to high-strength industrial glass and ceramic materials.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for silica, 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.
Reported Structures
Lowest-energy structures reported for SiO2, 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P3121 (No. 152) | trigonal | 5.72 | 0.0000 | -8.380 | 2.63 |
| P3221 (No. 154) | trigonal | 5.67 | 0.0006 | -8.379 | 2.63 |
| C2/c (No. 15) | monoclinic | 5.63 | 0.0028 | -8.377 | 2.64 |
| P43212 (No. 96) | tetragonal | 5.51 | 0.0053 | -8.375 | 2.34 |
| P41212 (No. 92) | tetragonal | 5.50 | 0.0054 | -8.375 | 2.31 |
| I-42d (No. 122) | tetragonal | 5.69 | 0.0056 | -8.374 | 2.22 |
| P1 (No. 1) | triclinic | 5.59 | 0.0066 | -8.373 | 2.25 |
| Cc (No. 9) | monoclinic | 5.55 | 0.0067 | -8.373 | 2.25 |
| Pna21 (No. 33) | orthorhombic | 5.66 | 0.0068 | -8.373 | 2.26 |
| Cc (No. 9) | monoclinic | 5.51 | 0.0069 | -8.373 | 2.19 |
| P21/c (No. 14) | monoclinic | 5.54 | 0.0071 | -8.373 | 2.36 |
| Ama2 (No. 40) | orthorhombic | 5.62 | 0.0075 | -8.372 | 2.21 |
Synthesis Routes
Literature-extracted synthesis procedures targeting SiO2.
Applications
Where silica is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about silica, answered from cross-validated data.
What is SiO2?
Silica is a ubiquitous, stable insulating compound that forms the basis of glass, ceramics, and modern semiconductor electronics.
What is SiO2 used for?
What is the band gap of SiO2?
Is SiO2 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is SiO2 thermodynamically stable?
What is the crystal structure of SiO2?
What is the density of SiO2?
How many polymorphs of SiO2 are known?
How is SiO2 synthesized?
What elements does SiO2 contain?
Where does the data for SiO2 come from?
How It Compares
As one of the most structurally diverse and widely studied compounds in existence, silica stands as the primary reference point for insulating oxides, defining the standard for chemical stability and dielectric performance in its class.
Data sources & attribution
- materials_project — Data from the Materials Project. Cite: Jain et al., APL Materials 1, 011002 (2013).
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