Metalloid for carbon in steel casting. Of the non-metallic elements less often recognised as metalloids, selenium—in the form of ferroselenium (50–58% selenium)—is used to improve the machinability of stainless steels. All six of the elements commonly recognised as metalloids have toxic, dietary or medicinal properties. Arsenic and antimony compounds are especially toxic; boron, silicon, and possibly arsenic, are essential trace elements. Boron, silicon, arsenic, and antimony have medical applications, and germanium and tellurium are thought to have potential. Boron is used in insecticides and herbicides. It is an essential trace element. As boric acid, it has antiseptic, antifungal, and antiviral properties.
GeSbTe antimony and tellurium, such as tris-dimethylamino antimony (TDMASb) and di-isopropyl telluride (DIPTe) respectively, to grow GeSbTe and other chalcogenide films of very high purity by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). Dimethylamino germanium trichloride (DMAGeC) is also reported as the chloride containing and a superior dimethylaminogermanium precursor for Ge deposition by MOCVD. GeSbTe is a ternary compound of germanium, antimony, and tellurium, with composition GeTe-SbTe. In the GeSbTe system, there is a pseudo-line as shown upon which most of the alloys lie. Moving down this pseudo-line, it can be seen that as we go from SbTe to GeTe, the melting point