Zinc-plant residue is chlorinated to volatile GeCl4, distilled to purify, hydrolyzed to GeO2, reduced with hydrogen, and zone-refined to semiconductor grade.
Research Elements Ge · atomic number 32 Metalloid · period 4, group 14 [Ar] 3d10 4s2 4p2 Shells: 2, 8, 18, 4 Valence electrons: 4 in the outer shell (4s2 4p2) Green dots are the outer shell's s and p electrons. Softer green dots are the d electrons of transition metals, and the d and f electrons of lanthanides and actinides: they often take part in bonding, but not always. Grey dots are the core. Ground-state configuration from the NIST Atomic Spectra Database (A. Kramida, Yu. Ralchenko, J. Reader and the NIST ASD Team). Abundance is the mole fraction of the element found as that isotope on Earth; digits in parentheses are the uncertainty in the last digits. Masses and abundances from NIST, Atomic Weights and Isotopic Compositions (J. S. Coursey, D. J. Schwab, J. J. Tsai and R. A. Dragoset, National Institute of Standards and Technology).Germanium
Electrons
How it's obtained
Natural isotopes
Isotope Relative atomic mass Abundance 70Ge 69.92424875(90) 0.2057(27) 72Ge 71.922075826(81) 0.2745(32) 73Ge 72.923458956(61) 0.0775(12) 74Ge 73.921177761(13) 0.3650(20) 76Ge 75.921402726(19) 0.0773(12)