Nomenclature
CAS number: 1314-91-6
PbTe; mol wt 334.80.
Pb 61.89%, Te 38.11%.
Description and references
Found in nature as the mineral altaite. Prepd from lead nitrate, sodium carbonate and powdered
tellurium: Montignie, Bull. Soc. Chim. Fr. 1947, 750. Prepn of single crystals by heating stoichiometric
quantities of the elements in a graphite cup or fused quartz tube:
Brady, J. Electrochem. Soc. 101, 466 (1954).
Properties
Silver-gray cubic crystals. d420 8.16. mp 905°. Most of the
crystal is p-type, the n-type material being
present in the surface layer. Energy gap 0.27 ev. Electron mobility
2240 cm2/volt-sec. Hole mobility 860 cm2/volt-sec.
Resistivity 0.005 ohm-cm (p-type), 0.00090 ohm-cm (n-type). Not attacked by hydrochloric, hydrofluoric, perchloric
and acetic acids or their mixtures; not attacked by solns of 30% potassium
hydroxide or of alkali metal sulfides. Dil nitric acid turns the
surface black, while concd nitric acid produces lighter gray surface
and turns the black surface to gray. Hot concd sulfuric acid produces
a reddish-violet surface.Use
In photoconductor cells; in semiconductor research.