Cadmium Telluride (CdTe)

Verifiedsemiconductor
· CdTe· Cadmium Telluride· Cad-Tel

Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) is a binary II-VI semiconductor compound with a direct bandgap in the near-infrared region, making it a primary material for optoelectronic and radiation detection applications. The material is most widely deployed in thin-film photovoltaic (solar cell) technology, where it offers high theoretical conversion efficiency and manufactures at lower cost than silicon alternatives; CdTe is also valued in gamma-ray and X-ray detectors for medical imaging, security screening, and nuclear monitoring due to its strong photon absorption and good charge transport properties. Engineers select CdTe when bandgap energy (~1.44 eV) and radiation stopping power are critical, though environmental and health regulations around cadmium toxicity constrain its adoption in some markets and drive ongoing development of cadmium-free alternatives.

thin-film photovoltaic cellsgamma-ray detectorsX-ray imaging sensorsnuclear radiation monitoringinfrared optoelectronicsmedical diagnostic imaging

Compliance & Regulations

?EAR?ISO 10993?Conflict Free?RoHS?REACH?TSCA?Prop 65
Units:
siimperial
Property OverviewNormalized to typical max values
PropertyValueUnitConditionsSource
Young's Modulus(E)
7,542
ksi—
Verified Unverified Low confidence (<80%) Link to source
PropertyValueUnitConditionsSource
Melting Point / Solidus(Tm)
1,997.2
°F—
Thermal Conductivity(k)
3.582
BTU/(hr·ft·°F)—
Verified Unverified Low confidence (<80%) Link to source
PropertyValueUnitConditionsSource
Density(ρ)
0.2113
lb/in³—
Verified Unverified Low confidence (<80%) Link to source
PropertyValueUnitConditionsSource
Band Gap(Eg)
1.500
eV—
Dielectric Constant (Relative Permittivity)(εr)
10.20
-—
Verified Unverified Low confidence (<80%) Link to source

Regulatory Screening

Environmental

Export Control

Safety & Biocompatibility

RoHS, REACH, and Prop 65 statuses are validated against official substance lists (ECHA SVHC Candidate List, OEHHA Prop 65, RoHS Annex II). Other regulations are estimated from composition and material classification. All screening is a starting point for due diligence — always verify with your supplier before making compliance decisions.
Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) — Properties & Data | MatWorld