Gallium(III) telluride ( Ga₂ Te₃) is a

chemical compound A chemical compound is a chemical substance composed of many identical molecules (or molecular entities) containing atoms from more than one chemical element held together by chemical bonds. A molecule consisting of atoms of only one element ...

classified as a metal telluride. At room temperature gallium(III) telluride is an odorless, black, brittle

crystalline solid A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions. In addition, macros ...

and is a

semiconductor A semiconductor is a material which has an electrical resistivity and conductivity, electrical conductivity value falling between that of a electrical conductor, conductor, such as copper, and an insulator (electricity), insulator, such as glas ...

of the III-VI type that crystallizes in a lattice structure.American Elements: Gallium(III) Telluride Supplier & Tech Info
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Synthesis

Gallium(III) telluride is most commonly synthesized through the

solid-state reaction A dry media reaction or solid-state reaction or solventless reaction is a chemical reaction system in the absence of a solvent. The drive for the development of dry media reactions in chemistry is * economics (save money on solvents) * ease of pur ...

trimethylgallium Trimethylgallium, often abbreviated to TMG or TMGa, is the organogallium compound with the formula Ga(CH3)3. It is a colorless, pyrophoric liquid. Unlike trimethylaluminium, TMG adopts a monomeric structure. When examined in detail, the monomeric ...

and a telluride oxide complex under high temperatures. It is also possible to synthesize the compound by reacting elemental

gallium Gallium is a chemical element with the symbol Ga and atomic number 31. Discovered by French chemist Paul-Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran in 1875, Gallium is in group 13 of the periodic table and is similar to the other metals of the group (aluminiu ...

and elemental

tellurium Tellurium is a chemical element with the symbol Te and atomic number 52. It is a brittle, mildly toxic, rare, silver-white metalloid. Tellurium is chemically related to selenium and sulfur, all three of which are chalcogens. It is occasionally fou ...

at high temperatures.

Properties

Physical properties

At room temperature, gallium(III) telluride is a black, odorless, brittle crystal. The compound crystallizes in a four-coordinate tetrahedral structure. The crystal is not immediately reactive or flammable, though serious protective ware should be worn while handling this compound (see toxicity). Gallium(III) telluride has a melting point of 788 °C to 792 °C and is not soluble in water.

Chemical properties

Gallium(III) telluride is stable at room temperature. The compound is relatively unreactive, and there are no known materials with which it is incompatible. Gallium(III) telluride will over time emit telluride fumes and it naturally decomposes. There is no risk of hazardous polymerization.

Toxicity

The

toxicological Toxicology is a scientific discipline, overlapping with biology, chemistry, pharmacology, and medicine, that involves the study of the adverse effects of chemical substances on living organisms and the practice of diagnosing and treating expos ...

properties of gallium(III) telluride have not been thoroughly investigated. However elemental tellurium has relatively low toxicity. It is converted in the body to

dimethyl telluride Dimethyl telluride is an organotelluride compound, formula ( CH3)2 Te, also known by the abbreviation DMTe. This was the first material used to grow epitaxial cadmium telluride and mercury cadmium telluride using metalorganic vapour phase epitax ...

which imparts a garlic-like odor to the breath and sweat. Heavy exposures may, in addition, result in headache, drowsiness, metallic taste, loss of appetite, nausea, tremors, convulsions, and respiratory arrest. Proper precautions should be taken when handling this compound, including lab goggles and safety gloves. This compound should be handled in a well ventilated area.

Uses

Industrial

Gallium(III) telluride is a p-type

of the III-VI type. Currently its use in industry is relatively limited but further application are being explored, especially as its use in a thin film and for applications in

laser diodes The laser diode chip removed and placed on the eye of a needle for scale A laser diode (LD, also injection laser diode or ILD, or diode laser) is a semiconductor device similar to a light-emitting diode in which a diode pumped directly with e ...

and

solar cells A solar cell, or photovoltaic cell, is an electronic device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect, which is a physics, physical and Chemical substance, chemical phenomenon.sputtering In physics, sputtering is a phenomenon in which microscopic particles of a solid material are ejected from its surface, after the material is itself bombarded by energetic particles of a plasma or gas. It occurs naturally in outer space, and can ...

targets, used for

chemical vapor deposition Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is a vacuum deposition method used to produce high quality, and high-performance, solid materials. The process is often used in the semiconductor industry to produce thin films. In typical CVD, the wafer (substra ...

(CVD) and

physical vapor deposition Physical vapor deposition (PVD), sometimes called physical vapor transport (PVT), describes a variety of vacuum deposition methods which can be used to produce thin films and coatings on substrates including metals, ceramics, glass, and polym ...

(PVD) display and optical applications. High-purity gallium(III) telluride is commercially available in many crystalline and polycrystalline forms.

References

{{Tellurides Tellurides Gallium compounds