Yttrium phosphide is an
inorganic compound
An inorganic compound is typically a chemical compound that lacks carbon–hydrogen bondsthat is, a compound that is not an organic compound. The study of inorganic compounds is a subfield of chemistry known as ''inorganic chemistry''.
Inorgan ...
of
yttrium
Yttrium is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Y and atomic number 39. It is a silvery-metallic transition metal chemically similar to the lanthanides and has often been classified as a "rare-earth element". Yttrium is almost a ...
and
phosphorus
Phosphorus is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol P and atomic number 15. All elemental forms of phosphorus are highly Reactivity (chemistry), reactive and are therefore never found in nature. They can nevertheless be prepared ar ...
with the chemical formula YP. The compound may be also classified as yttrium(III) phosphide.
Synthesis
Heating (500–1000 °C) of pure substances in a vacuum:
:
Properties
Yttrium phosphide forms cubic crystals.
Uses
Ytttium phosphide is a
semiconductor
A semiconductor is a material with electrical conductivity between that of a conductor and an insulator. Its conductivity can be modified by adding impurities (" doping") to its crystal structure. When two regions with different doping level ...
used in
laser diodes, and in high power and frequency applications.
References
Phosphides
Yttrium compounds
Rock salt crystal structure
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