ZnSe
ZnSe has a DFT band gap of 0.40–1.72 eV across 98 reported structures in 22 space groups; its reference structure is cubic (F-43m (No. 216)). Cross-validated across 3 computational databases.
At a glance
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for ZnSe, 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.
0.40–1.72 eV
Range across DFT structures · ground state: wide gap
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.
0.000 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources
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.
Stable
3 DFT sources
StructuresCount of reported calculated crystal structures for this formula, including alternate polymorphs, source databases, and observed space groups.
98
3 databases, 22 space groups
Validation
Cross-Source DFT Agreement
How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of ZnSe. 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.
1.00 / 1.00
Trust tier: high
Hull SpreadDifference between the highest and lowest energy-above-hull values reported by comparable sources. Smaller spread means less thermodynamic disagreement.
0.000 eV
EAH spread across sources
Sources ComparedNumber and names of computational sources with comparable entries for this formula.
3
jarvis, materials_project, oqmd
Space Group ConsensusWhether independent sources predict the same crystal symmetry for the lowest-energy structure.
All match
Crystallography
Reported Structures
Lowest-energy structures reported for ZnSe, 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | 1.50 | 0.0000 | -0.719 | — |
| F-43m (No. 216) | cubic | 1.22 | 0.0000 | -0.718 | — |
| F-43m (No. 216) | cubic | 1.17 | 0.0000 | -3.329 | 5.27 |
| P63mc (No. 186) | hexagonal | 1.20 | 0.0040 | -3.325 | 5.27 |
| — | — | 1.38 | 0.0049 | -0.714 | — |
| P63mc (No. 186) | hexagonal | 1.25 | 0.0059 | -0.712 | — |
| — | — | 1.43 | 0.1083 | -0.610 | — |
| P4/nmm (No. 129) | tetragonal | 1.97 | 0.1600 | -3.169 | 4.68 |
| — | — | 0.79 | 0.1688 | -0.550 | — |
| — | — | 1.71 | 0.1702 | -0.549 | — |
| P4/nmm (No. 129) | tetragonal | 1.54 | 0.1836 | -0.534 | — |
| — | — | 1.52 | 0.2301 | -0.489 | — |
Synthesis
Synthesis Routes
Literature-extracted synthesis procedures targeting ZnSe.
Solid State
Procedure available · ceder_solid_state
Intellectual Property
Patent Landscape
7 patents reference ZnSe or close compositional variants.
| Patent | Title | Assignee | Granted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11434423 | Wavelength tuning of ZnSe quantum dots using In3+ salts as dopants | — | — |
| 6503578 | Method for preparing ZnSe thin films by ion-assisted continuous wave CO2 laser deposition | — | — |
| 12221575 | Method for preparing ZnSe quantum dot, ZnSe quantum dot, ZnSe structure and display device | — | — |
| 5686195 | Process for an improved laminate of ZnSe and ZnS | — | — |
| 5476549 | Process for an improved laminate of ZnSe and ZnS | — | — |
| 4978577 | Method for preparing laminates of ZnSe and ZnS | — | — |
| 5183689 | Process for an improved laminated of ZnSe and ZnS | — | — |
Reference
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about ZnSe, answered from cross-validated data.
What is the band gap of ZnSe?
ZnSe has a DFT-computed band gap of 0.40–1.72 eV across 98 reported structures. Standard DFT underestimates band gaps, so the measured gap is typically larger.
More questions
Is ZnSe a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
DFT predicts a band gap of up to 1.72 eV (a semiconductor). Measured gaps are typically larger.
Is ZnSe thermodynamically stable?
Yes — ZnSe sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. stable.
What is the crystal structure of ZnSe?
The reference structure of ZnSe is cubic symmetry, space group F-43m (No. 216).
How many polymorphs of ZnSe are known?
98 structures of ZnSe are reported across 3 databases, spanning 22 distinct space groups.
How is ZnSe synthesized?
Literature-reported routes for ZnSe include solid state.
What elements does ZnSe contain?
ZnSe contains Se and Zn (2 elements).
Where does the data for ZnSe come from?
ZnSe data is cross-referenced from oqmd, jarvis, materials_project.
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Related Compounds
Other II-VI Semiconductors 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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