Germanium Metal

Germanium is a kind of gray white metal, glossy, hard, belonging to the carbon group. Its chemical properties are similar to those of tin and silicon in the same group. It is insoluble in water, hydrochloric acid, dilute caustic solution, aqua regia, concentrated nitric acid or sulfuric acid. It is also stable in air. Germanium is amphoteric, so it is soluble in molten alkali, peroxide alkali, alkali metal nitrate or carbonate.

Germanium is stable at room temperature, but it can also form GeO monolayer, which will gradually become GeO₂ monolayer over time. However, when water vapor is adsorbed on the surface of germanium, the passivation property of oxide film is destroyed and thick oxide is formed.

High-purity germanium is a semiconductor material. It can be obtained by reduction of high-purity germanium oxide and smelting. Germanium single crystal doped with a small amount of specific impurities can be used to make various transistors, rectifiers and other devices. Germanium compounds are used in the manufacture of fluorescent plates and various high refractive index glasses.

NC Elements is a professional supplier of high-purity germanium metal, in the forms of lumps, chucks, ingots, blocks and beads. The purity levels are 99.999% (5N) and 99.9999% (6N). Please contact us for more details. Get a Quote Now! For other semiconductor materials, please check our Semiconductor Materials catalog page.

Typical Applications:

Germanium has many special properties. It is an important strategic resource and has wide-range and important applications in semiconductor, aerospace measurement and control, nuclear physics detection, optical fiber communication, infrared optics, as well as solar cells, chemical catalysts, biomedicine, and other fields. In the electronic industry, alloy pretreatment, and the optical industry, it can also be used as a catalyst.

Germanium single crystal is used as the first generation transistor material. Germanium is used in radiation detectors and thermoelectric materials. High-purity germanium single crystal has high refractive index. It is only transparent to infrared light, but opaque to visible light and ultraviolet light. So it can be used as a germanium window, prism or lens for infrared light transmission. The infrared night vision instruments and other military observation instruments also use pure germanium to make lens.

In addition, germanium compounds also have a wide range of applications. Germanium and niobium compounds are superconducting materials. Germanium dioxide is a catalyst for polymerization. The glass containing germanium dioxide has high refractive index and dispersion properties, and can be used as a wide-angle camera and microscope lens. Germanium trichloride is also a new type of optical fiber material additive.

The cross-section of zone melting germanium ingot is trapezoidal. Upper width: 1’’ min., lower width: 0.8’’ min., height: 1’’ min., length: 4’’ min.

Inquiries and orders should include the following information:

1. Quantity
2. Purity

Standard Packing: Each ingot is sealed in polyethylene film bag, and then packed in a polystyrene box. It is then packed in outer carton and bound with PVC plastic tape. The net weight of each box is about 25 kg.