Relative Permittivity of Common Semiconductors
The relative permittivity, often referred to as the dielectric constant, of a material is a measure of how easily it can be polarized by an electric field. Semiconductors typically have a relatively low permittivity compared to insulators but higher than conductors.
The following table provides a comprehensive list of relative permittivity values for different semiconductors, taken at room temperature (approximately 20°C or 68°F).
| Crystal structure | Type | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| a-Sn | Diamond | IV-IV | 24 |
| AgBr | Sphalerite | I-VII | 12.4 |
| AgI | Sphalerite | I-VII | 10 |
| AlAs | Sphalerite | III-V | 8.5 |
| AlP | Sphalerite | III-V | 11.6 |
| AlSb | Sphalerite | III-V | 10.1 |
| BN | Sphalerite | III-V | 7.1 |
| BP | Sphalerite | III-V | 11.6 |
| C | Diamond | IV-IV | 5.7 |
| CdS | Sphalerite | II-VI | 5.4 |
| CdS | Wurtzite | II-VI | 9.12 |
| CdSe | Sphalerite | II-VI | 10 |
| CdTe | Sphalerite | II-VI | 7.2 |
| CdTe | Wurtzite | II-VI | 11 |
| CuBr | Sphalerite | I-VII | 7.9 |
| CuCl | Sphalerite | I-VII | 7.9 |
| Cul | Sphalerite | I-VII | 6.5 |
| GaAs | Sphalerite | III-V | 10.4 |
| GaP | Sphalerite | III-V | 8.5 |
| GaSb | Sphalerite | III-V | 14 |
| Ge | Diamond | IV-IV | 16 |
| InAs | Sphalerite | III-V | 11.7 |
| InP | Sphalerite | III-V | 12.4 |
| InSb | Sphalerite | III-V | 15.7 |
| PbS | Halite | II-VI | 17 |
| PbSe | Halite | II-VI | 23.6 |
| PbTe | Halite | II-VI | 30 |
| Si | Diamond | IV-IV | 11.8 |
| SiC | Sphalerite | IV-IV | 10 |
| ZnS | Sphalerite | II-VI | 5.2 |
| ZnSe | Sphalerite | II-VI | 9.2 |
| ZnTe | Sphalerite | II-VI | 10.4 |
References: 1) Cardarelli, François. Materials Handbook: A Concise Desktop Reference. Switzerland: Springer International Publishing, 2018.