What Are The Properties Of Aluminium Antimonide?

Aluminium antimonide (AlSb) is a binary compound composed of aluminium and antimony. It has several notable properties:

1. Crystal structure: AlSb has a zinc blende crystal structure, which is a common structure in semiconductors. The lattice constant of the crystal is 6.135 Å.

2. Bandgap: AlSb has a direct bandgap of around 1.6 eV at room temperature. This makes it suitable for use in optoelectronic devices like infrared detectors and solar cells.

3. Thermal properties: AlSb has a high thermal conductivity of around 150 W/mK, which makes it useful in applications where heat dissipation is important. It also has a relatively low coefficient of thermal expansion, which means it can withstand changes in temperature without cracking or breaking.

4. Electrical properties: AlSb is a semiconductor with good electrical conductivity. It has a high electron mobility and a low electron effective mass, which make it useful in high-speed electronic devices like transistors and diodes.

5. Mechanical properties: AlSb is a hard and brittle material with a Mohs hardness of around 4.5. It has a low fracture toughness, which means it is susceptible to cracking under stress.

6. Chemical stability: AlSb is relatively stable in air and is not easily oxidized. However, it can react with strong acids and bases.

Overall, AlSb has a combination of thermal, electrical, and optical properties that make it useful in a variety of applications, including infrared detectors, solar cells, and high-speed electronic devices.