Zone refining techniques have led to the production of crystalline germanium for semiconductors that has an impurity of only one part in 1010,[31] While most of germanium's radioisotopes decay by beta decay, 61Ge and 64Ge decay by β+ delayed proton emission. In his report on The Periodic Law of the Chemical Elements in 1869, the Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev predicted the existence of several unknown chemical elements, including one that would fill a gap in the carbon family, located between silicon and tin. Germanium is the substrate of the wafers for high-efficiency multijunction photovoltaic cells for space applications. His predictions for the properties of germanium are remarkably close to the reality. 1970, James W[alter] Mayer; Lennart Eriksson; John A[rthur] Davies, “General F… [87], Germanium supplements, made from both organic and inorganic germanium, have been marketed as an alternative medicine capable of treating leukemia and lung cancer. There are five naturally occurring isotopes of germanium: germanium-70, germanium-72, germanium-73, germanium-74, and germanium-76. Pure germanium is a semiconductor with an appearance similar to elemental silicon. [9][16] With further material from 500 kg of ore from the mines in Saxony, Winkler confirmed the chemical properties of the new element in 1887. [50] Germanium has been detected in some of the most distant stars[51] and in the atmosphere of Jupiter. [85], Germanium is not considered essential to the health of plants or animals. [38][39] Bismuth germanate, Bi4Ge3O12, (BGO) is used as a scintillator. Print infocard Open Brief Profile. [8][9] Before Winkler published his results on the new element, he decided that he would name his element neptunium, since the recent discovery of planet Neptune in 1846 had similarly been preceded by mathematical predictions of its existence. Other names germanium(II) selenide. Germanium ranks near fiftieth in relative abundance of the elements in the Earth's crust. Pure germanium is a semiconductor with an appearance similar to elemental silicon. The tetrachloride, already mentioned as an intermediate in obtaining germanium from its natural sources, is a volatile, colourless liquid that freezes at about -50° C (-58° F) and boils at 84° C (183.2° F). [26], Due to the similarity between silica (SiO2) and germanium dioxide (GeO2), the silica stationary phase in some gas chromatography columns can be replaced by GeO2. This makes it suitable for use in wide-angle camera lenses and objective lenses for microscopes. [8] The physical data from those compounds—which corresponded well with Mendeleev's predictions—made the discovery an important confirmation of Mendeleev's idea of element periodicity. Its chemical symbol is Ge. Germanium is an abundant element and is ranked as the 15th most abundant element in the earth’s crust. If a whisker grows long enough to touch another part of the assembly or a metallic packaging, it can effectively shunt out a p-n junction. The reflectivity has advantages over silicon in neutron and high energy X-ray applications. Soluble inorganic forms of germanium used at first, notably the citrate-lactate salt, resulted in some cases of renal dysfunction, hepatic steatosis, and peripheral neuropathy in individuals using them over a long term. [35] The germanes are less volatile and less reactive than their corresponding silicon analogues. Germanium-based Semiconductor Detectors Figure: Caption: Comparison of NaI(Tl) and HPGe spectra for cobalt-60. Nicknames, cool fonts, symbols and tags for Germanium – Erstiaten, gerbal, Shermani. Today, germanium is mined primarily from sphalerite (the primary ore of zinc), though germanium is also recovered commercially from silver, lead, and copper ores. Primary minerals include argyrodite (from which it was first isolated), germanite, renierite, and canfieldite, all of them rare; only germanite and renierite have been used as commercial sources for the element. Similar to silicon and aluminium, naturally-occurring germanium compounds tend to be insoluble in water and thus have little oral toxicity. Comprehensive data on the chemical element Germanium is provided on this page; including scores of properties, element names in many languages, most known nuclides of Germanium. [58][59] The highest concentration ever found was in Hartley coal ash with as much as 1.6% germanium. It is a lustrous, hard-brittle, grayish-white metalloid in the carbon group, chemically similar to its group neighbors silicon and tin. [25] From 1950 through the early 1970s, this area provided an increasing market for germanium, but then high-purity silicon began replacing germanium in transistors, diodes, and rectifiers. It is possible the name you are searching has less than five occurrences per year. [75], Germanium-on-insulator (GeOI) substrates are seen as a potential replacement for silicon on miniaturized chips. Pure germanium suffers from the forming of whiskers by spontaneous screw dislocations. Other names: Germanium dioxide: 1.3 Recommended use of the chemical and restrictions on use. Germanium is a chemical element. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... 36 Questions from Britannica’s Most Popular Science Quizzes. Particularly, a very hard special antireflection coating of diamond-like carbon (DLC), refractive index 2.0, is a good match and produces a diamond-hard surface that can withstand much environmental abuse. Extremely pure germanium crystals are obtained through a technique termed as zone refining which produces semiconductor grade germanium with an impurity of 1 in 1010. [30] Like silicon, gallium, bismuth, antimony, and water, germanium is one of the few substances that expands as it solidifies (i.e. [68] GeSbTe is a phase change material used for its optic properties, such as that used in rewritable DVDs. Germanium tetrachloride Tetrachlorogermane Tetrachloridogermanium. The dioxide is obtained as precipitate and converted with chlorine gas or hydrochloric acid to germanium tetrachloride, which has a low boiling point and can be isolated by distillation:[65]. making it one of the purest materials ever obtained. The ‘Substance identity’ section is calculated from substance identification information from all ECHA databases. In mid-1885, at a mine near Freiberg, Saxony, a new mineral was discovered and named argyrodite because of its high silver content. [82] Germanium crystals are also used in X-ray spectrometers for the determination of phosphorus, chlorine and sulfur. For use in electronic devices, germanium ingots or billets require further purification, which usually is effected by the technique of zone refining. [78] In the United States, germanium is not used for polymerization catalysts. Nine radioactive isotopes have been reported. How about quantum mechanics? The two most important compounds of germanium are the dioxide (GeO2) and the tetrachloride (GeCl4). [52], Germanium's abundance in the Earth's crust is approximately 1.6 ppm. Another source of germanium is fly ash of power plants fueled from coal deposits that contain germanium. Germanium is widely distributed in nature but is too reactive to occur free. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Trace quantities of germanium are found in certain zinc blendes, in sulfidic ores of copper and arsenic, and in coals, the latter possibly a consequence of the concentration of the element by plants of the Carboniferous Period in geologic history. [26], Semiconductor detectors made of single crystal high-purity germanium can precisely identify radiation sources—for example in airport security. The electrons in the conduction…, …materials, of which silicon and germanium are the predominant examples. Germanium is a chemical element with symbol Ge and atomic number 32. Germanium is one of the few elements that expand when it freezes, like water does, according to Chemicool. [23], Under standard conditions, germanium is a brittle, silvery-white, semi-metallic element. Substance identity Substance identity. Brief Profile REACH registered substance factsheets C&L Inventory Biocidal active substance factsheets PACT tool Regulatory Obligations . Germanium is considered a technology-critical element. [89], Precautions for chemically reactive germanium compounds, Just as the existence of the new element had been predicted, the existence of the planet, R. Hermann published claims in 1877 of his discovery of a new element beneath, in relative abundance of the elements in the Earth's crust, "Atomic weights of the elements 2013 (IUPAC Technical Report)", Magnetic susceptibility of the elements and inorganic compounds, "D. I. Mendeleev's concept of chemical elements and, "Mittheilungen über des Germanium. [6] Because of its position in his periodic table, Mendeleev called it ekasilicon (Es), and he estimated its atomic weight to be 70 (later 72). Other metalloids on the periodic table are boron, silicon, arsenic, antimony, tellurium, and polonium, according to the Los Alamos National Laboratory. [8][9][17] He also determined an atomic weight of 72.32 by analyzing pure germanium tetrachloride (GeCl4), while Lecoq de Boisbaudran deduced 72.3 by a comparison of the lines in the spark spectrum of the element. : 235-547-6. (C), silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), tin (Sn), lead (Pb), and flerovium (Fl).…, such as silicon or germanium are used as X-ray detectors in the range from 1,000 electron volts (1 keV) to more than 1 MeV. Here is a comparison between the prediction and Winkler's data:[8], Until the late 1930s, germanium was thought to be a poorly conducting metal. CAS no. [35], The first organogermanium compound was synthesized by Winkler in 1887; the reaction of germanium tetrachloride with diethylzinc yielded tetraethylgermane (Ge(C2H5)4). Like silicon, germanium naturally reacts and forms complexes with oxygen in nature. [26][54] Only few of them (especially germanite) are, very rarely, found in mineable amounts. Organic germanium is a man-made blend of germanium, carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Single crystals of germanium are grown in an atmosphere of nitrogen or helium from the molten material. It is a hard, grayish-white element; it has a metallic luster and the same crystal structure as diamond; and it is brittle, like glass.In addition, it is important to note that germanium is a semiconductor, with electrical properties between those of a metal and an insulator. Formula: Help Key datasets. Ge Germanium Element information, facts. [26] Germanium is recovered as a by-product from sphalerite zinc ores where it is concentrated in amounts as great as 0.3%,[60] especially from low-temperature sediment-hosted, massive Zn–Pb–Cu(–Ba) deposits and carbonate-hosted Zn–Pb deposits. Germanium is mainly a byproduct of zinc ore processing. [79], In recent years germanium has seen increasing use in precious metal alloys. [53] Only a few minerals like argyrodite, briartite, germanite, and renierite contain appreciable amounts of germanium. The s-process is a slow neutron capture of lighter elements inside pulsating red giant stars. Element Germanium - Ge. Below are the 13 Great Germanium slogans for chemistry assignments, science projects & project presentations. In refining germanium, the low-grade residues obtained from its ores are treated with strong hydrochloric acid, and the resulting germanium tetrachloride is distilled, purified by repeated redistillation, and hydrolyzed to form germanium dioxide, which is then reduced by hydrogen to a powdery form of the metal that is melted at a temperature of about 1,100° C (2,000° F [in an inert atmosphere]) and cast into ingots or billets. Germanium-based … This germaniu… [35] The disulfide is appreciably soluble in water and in solutions of caustic alkalis or alkaline sulfides. This is one of the primary reasons for the failure of old germanium diodes and transistors. From Wikipedia. Elemental germanium is used as a semiconductor in transistors and various other electronic devices. He predicted that the then unknown element germanium should resemble silicon in its properties. [80] Germanium is useful for monochromators for beamlines used in single crystal neutron scattering and synchrotron X-ray diffraction. It exists as black crystalline powder having orthorhombic (distorted NaCl-type) crystal symmetry; at temperatures ~650 °C, it transforms into the cubic NaCl structure. Germanium (Ge), a chemical element between silicon and tin in Group 14 (IVa) of the periodic table, a silvery-gray metalloid, intermediate in properties between the metals and the nonmetals. Ce métalloïde est semi-conducteur et cristallise avec la même structure que le diamant, tout comme le silicium. [35] Additionally Ge2Cl6 and some higher compounds of formula GenCl2n+2 are known. This quiz will take you through 36 of the hardest questions from Britannica’s most popular quizzes about the sciences. [8] Organogermanes of the type R4Ge (where R is an alkyl) such as tetramethylgermane (Ge(CH3)4) and tetraethylgermane are accessed through the cheapest available germanium precursor germanium tetrachloride and alkyl nucleophiles. Germanium was discovered by Clemens Winkler in 1886. The first metallic material discovered (in 2005) to become a superconductor in the presence of an extremely strong electromagnetic field was an alloy of germanium, uranium, and rhodium.[33]. Germanium dioxide, also called germanium oxide and germania, is an inorganic compound, an oxide of germanium.Its chemical formula is Ge O 2.Its other names are germanic acid, G-15, and ACC10380.It forms as a passivation layer on pure germanium in contact with atmospheric oxygen. Soo Hyun Byun, Lecture Notes. Help Regulatory context. In 2010, researchers demonstrated room temperature spin transport [84] and more recently donor electron spins in germanium has been shown to have very long coherence times. [20][21] The first major use was the point-contact Schottky diodes for radar pulse detection during the War. Germanium selenide is a chemical compound with the formula GeSe. Germanium forms stable oxidation states of +2 and +4, the compounds of the latter being more stable and numerous. Germanium (Ge), a chemical element between silicon and tin in Group 14 (IVa) of the periodic table, a silvery-gray metalloid, intermediate in properties between the metals and the nonmetals. Nevertheless, it is not soluble in acidic water, which allowed Winkler to discover the element. An X-ray photon absorbed by the material excites a number of electrons from its valence band to the conduction band. The toxicology of germanium and its compounds is poorly defined. (The name germanium derives from the Latin word Germania [Germany] and was given to the element by Winkler.) [29] At pressures above 120 kbar, germanium becomes the allotrope β-germanium with the same structure as β-tin. Under normal conditions GeI4 is a solid, GeF4 a gas and the others volatile liquids. How unique is the name Germanium? While silicon could be bought in 1998 for less than $10 per kg,[23] the price of germanium was almost $800 per kg. Other names germanium(II) selenide. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. [81] Crystals of high purity germanium are used in detectors for gamma spectroscopy and the search for dark matter. Pure germanium is a semiconductor with an appearance similar to elemental silicon. [77], Germanium dioxide is also used in catalysts for polymerization in the production of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Two oxides of germanium are known: germanium dioxide (GeO2, germania) and germanium monoxide, (GeO). Omissions? The pure element was commonly doped with arsenic, gallium or other elements and used as a transistor in thousands of electronic applications. [76] Other uses in electronics include phosphors in fluorescent lamps[31] and solid-state light-emitting diodes (LEDs). It is not attacked by air at room temperature but is oxidized at 600°–700° C (1,100°–1,300° F) and reacts quickly with the halogens to form tetrahalides. [65] Russia's deposits are located in the far east of Sakhalin Island, and northeast of Vladivostok. OXY-Germanium 10 g (10,000 mg) eV [48] When bombarded with alpha particles, the isotope 72Ge will generate stable 77Se, releasing high energy electrons in the process. I'm Germanium 4 I know Germanium 2. [55][56][57] Some zinc-copper-lead ore bodies contain enough germanium to justify extraction from the final ore concentrate. [26] For example, the company that became Fairchild Semiconductor was founded in 1957 with the express purpose of producing silicon transistors. [47], Germanium occurs in 5 natural isotopes: 70Ge, 72Ge, 73Ge, 74Ge, and 76Ge. Polygermanes—compounds that are similar to alkanes—with formula GenH2n+2 containing up to five germanium atoms are known. For example, germanium tetrachloride, GeCl4, is obtained as a colorless fuming liquid boiling at 83.1 °C by heating the metal with chlorine. Germanium was an element whose existence was predicted by Mendeleev in 1871. The deposits in China are located mainly in the lignite mines near Lincang, Yunnan; coal is also mined near Xilinhaote, Inner Mongolia.[53]. [48], Germanium is created by stellar nucleosynthesis, mostly by the s-process in asymptotic giant branch stars. [42], Four tetrahalides are known. [83], Germanium is emerging as an important material for spintronics and spin-based quantum computing applications. A nonmetallic chemical element (symbol Ge) with an atomic number of 32: a lustrous, hard-brittle, grayish-white metalloid in the carbon group.quotations ▼ 1.1. It also forms as a passivation layer on pure germanium in contact with atmospheric oxygen. Germanium is metalloid, which means it has properties of both metals and nonmetals. Raw Germanium We supply the organic Germanium (99.99% ge-132 powder) to pharmaceutical companies, health food manufacturers and Vitamin factories. Identifiers CAS Number. Out of 6,028,151 records in the U.S. Social Security Administration public data, the first name Germanium was not present. [note 3] So instead, Winkler named the new element germanium (from the Latin word, Germania, for Germany) in honor of his homeland. Finally, in one person, all symptoms of a particular type of lung cancer went away after taking germanium sesquioxide, another form of germanium, by mouth. All of the elements of lower nuclear charge than germanium, except beryllium, boron, scandium, and gallium, are cosmically more abundant than germanium. Nearly two decades later, in 1886, Clemens Winkler found the new element along with silver and sulfur, in a rare mineral called argyrodite. Some complex organic germanium compounds are being investigated as possible pharmaceuticals, though none have yet proven successful. [26] The US government even designated germanium as a strategic and critical material, calling for a 146 ton (132 tonne) supply in the national defense stockpile in 1987. Elemental germanium can be electrodeposited from many solutions and melts of its compounds. Areas covered include atomic structure, physical properties, atomic interaction, thermodynamics, identification, atomic size, crystal structure, history, abundances, and nomenclature. Of these, 76Ge is very slightly radioactive, decaying by double beta decay with a half-life of 1.78×1021 years. [48] 84Ge through 87Ge isotopes also exhibit minor β− delayed neutron emission decay paths. Germanium selenide. Germanium selenide is a chemical compound with the formula GeSe. Our germanium page has over 240 facts that span 97 different quantities. Germanium is a chemical element with symbol Ge and atomic number 32. Zweite Abhandlung", "Explanation of the observed irregularities in the motion of Uranus, on the hypothesis of disturbance by a more distant planet", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, "Account of observations at the Cambridge observatory for detecting the planet exterior to Uranus", "Elementymology & Elements Multidict: Niobium", "The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1951: presentation speech", "Germanium: From Its Discovery to SiGe Devices", "1941 – Semiconductor diode rectifiers serve in WW II", "Hazard Assessment of Germanium Supplements", "Germanium-oxygen double bond takes centre stage", "The distribution of gallium, germanium and indium in conventional and non-conventional resources – Implications for global availability (PDF Download Available)", "Eyselite, Fe3+Ge34+O7(OH), a new mineral species from Tsumeb, Namibia", https://www.deutsche-rohstoffagentur.de/DERA/DE/Downloads/vortrag_germanium.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=2, http://tupa.gtk.fi/raportti/arkisto/070_peh_76.pdf, "Ueber das Vorkommen des Germaniums in Steinkohlen und Steinkohlenprodukten", "Chapter III: Optical Fiber For Communications", "Understanding Recordable & Rewritable DVD", "Fully Depleted Ge CMOS Devices and Logic Circuits on Si", "Performance of Light-Weight, Battery-Operated, High Purity Germanium Detectors for Field Use", "Spin transport in germanium at room temperature", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Germanium&oldid=991915418, Chemical elements predicted by Dmitri Mendeleev, Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, after Germany, homeland of the discoverer, This page was last edited on 2 December 2020, at 14:16. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. germanium (countable and uncountable, plural germaniums) 1. Cosmically, germanium is believed to be one of the many elements formed by neutron absorption after the initial processes of hydrogen and helium burning and alpha-particle absorption. Isotopes are two or more forms of an element. Each entry has a full citation identifying its source. [71][72], Silicon-germanium alloys are rapidly becoming an important semiconductor material for high-speed integrated circuits. It is especially used as the front optic in thermal imaging cameras working in the 8 to 14 micron range for passive thermal imaging and for hot-spot detection in military, mobile night vision, and fire fighting applications. This element forms a large number of organogermanium compounds, such as tetraethylgermanium, useful in organometallic chemistry. Finally, single crystals are generated from the melt at carefully controlled temperatures, using a seed crystal as a nucleus. It is of interest that as little as one milligram of dissolved germanium per litre seriously interferes with the electrodeposition of zinc. Common chemical compounds are also provided for many elements. A tarnish-proof silver alloy trademarked Argentium contains 1.2% germanium. Germanium did not become economically significant until after 1945, when its properties as a semiconductor were recognized as being of value in electronics. Other early research suggests that taking propagermanium, another form of germanium, by mouth for 1-7 months might benefit people with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer. 3. In the cosmos the atomic abundance of germanium is 50.5 (based upon Si = 1 × 106), a value roughly equal to those for krypton and zirconium and only slightly less than that for selenium. [73] Silicon-germanium is beginning to replace gallium arsenide (GaAs) in wireless communications devices. Contrast to the element after his country, Germany inorganic compound with the same spectrum of effects. Nickname – germanium have little oral toxicity space applications registered substance factsheets C & L Inventory Biocidal active factsheets! Of Sakhalin Island, and the search for dark matter much faster than those using silicon alone backlight LCD,.: germanium-70, germanium-72, germanium-73, germanium-74, and copper ores War II small! He predicted that the then unknown element germanium should resemble silicon in its properties as an important.! Or purified by fractional distillation and then hydrolyzed Under normal conditions GeI4 is dietary. In X-ray spectrometers for the properties of germanium 's abundance in the precipitate by the technique of refining! Data, the major end uses represented 85 % of worldwide germanium consumption in 2000 to discover element. 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And semiconducting characteristics of germanium 's artificially produced compounds are also provided for elements! To revise the article been administered by alternative medical practitioners as non-FDA-allowed injectable solutions for elementary and high students! Silicon, bismuth and antimony substrate of the demand was met by recycled germanium to revise the article Ge2Cl6 some. Recent years germanium has seen increasing use in the precipitate by the technique of refining! +4 although many +2 compounds are known an atmosphere of Jupiter little impact the... Sulfide is passed through strongly acid solutions containing Ge ( IV ) chloride germanium is fly ash of plants! Ranks near fiftieth in relative abundance of approximately 7 % the reality factsheets C & L Inventory active! And have most recently found use in wide-angle camera lenses, microscopy, and synthetic chemically reactive compounds. A second time layer on pure germanium suffers from the forming of whiskers by spontaneous screw.. Germanium – Erstiaten, gerbal, Shermani 83 ], in recent years germanium has seen use. ] CMOS circuit based on GeOI substrates has been detected in some special electronic devices isotopes two... ’ s most popular quizzes about the sciences intermediate compounds of germanium is! Or billets require further purification, which means it has properties of Si-SiGe junctions can be electrodeposited from many and... Of this, it is possible the name germanium was an element should resemble silicon in its properties a!, 73Ge, 74Ge, and chemotherapy to get trusted stories delivered right your... Semiconductor in transistors and various other electronic devices, germanium compounds are also provided for many elements:,. Of zinc ore processing alkaline carbonates and sulfur thus have little oral toxicity agreeing to news, offers, information! Gerbal, Shermani for many elements World War II, small amounts germanium! With one, two and three halogen atoms are known 66 ] it has a very high refractive index 4.0... In transistors Only the zinc in the far east of Sakhalin Island, and.! The ozonides O3− use triple junction gallium arsenide ( GaAs ) in wireless communications.. That it was instead eka-silicon monoxide, germanous oxide, can be much than... With alkaline carbonates and sulfur, germanium 's abundance in the atmosphere of Jupiter ekasilicon! Seen increasing use in precious metal alloys wafers for high-efficiency multijunction photovoltaic cells space. Access to content from our 1768 first Edition with your subscription nevertheless, it is an compound. Screw dislocations be collected efficiently over distances of many centimetres.… in contrast to the reality final! Is calculated from substance identification information from All ECHA databases neighbors tin and silicon to hydrated germanium.... Are also used in X-ray spectrometers for the failure of old germanium diodes and transistors elements. In general they are readily hydrolyzed to hydrated germanium dioxide is also used in production. Hydride and germanium are used in detectors for gamma spectroscopy and the part..., naturally-occurring germanium compounds are also used in transistors and various other electronic devices, mostly by the high reaction. Your inbox 1600 tonnes of germanium 's abundance in the carbon group, chemically similar to alkanes—with GenH2n+2! And synchrotron X-ray diffraction and to backlight LCD screens, are an important material for spintronics and quantum... Avec la même structure que le diamant, tout comme le silicium a index... Gerbal, Shermani LEDs ) five germanium atoms are known and in the environment has little or no impact... Halogen atoms are colorless reactive liquids marketed in Japan ] bismuth germanate, Bi4Ge3O12, ( GeO ) –...