Antimonides
Antimonides
compounds of antimony with metals. They are solids with relatively high melting points. Some antimonides (Na3Sb, Ca3Sb2, Zn3b2, and others) may be regarded as derivatives of antimony hydride (SbH3—stibine); others (ZnSb, SnSb, Ni4Sb, and Ni5Sb) constitute typical intermetallic compounds, sometimes with considerable regions of homogeneity (SnSb, Tl7Sb2). Antimonides are usually prepared by fusion of components. Antimonides of certain metals have valuable semiconducting properties. Of greatest interest are the antimonides of group III metals of the periodic system, which crystallize in the structure of zincblende (AlSb, GaSb, InSb). Indium an-timonide (InSb) is used as the material for making infrared radiation detectors and Hall transducers.
B. A. POPOVKIN