Metalloids: The Boundary Between Metals and Nonmetals
Metalloids occupy the chemical boundary between metallic and nonmetallic behavior. Their intermediate electrical properties make them particularly important in semiconductors, thermoelectrics, glass, ceramics and advanced electronic materials.
Overview
Silicon dominates modern microelectronics and solar cells. Germanium, tellurium and antimony are used in optical, semiconductor and thermoelectric technologies, while boron contributes to hard ceramics, glass and nuclear applications. Several metalloid compounds also require careful toxicity management.
Periodic-table categories are useful for organizing trends, but they are not a substitute for material specifications. Engineering performance depends on purity, microstructure, processing history, temperature, environment and the way an element is combined into alloys or compounds.
