List of semiconductor materials

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Semiconductor materials are nominally small band gap insulators. The defining property of a semiconductor material is that it can be compromised by doping it with impurities that alter its electronic properties in a controllable way. [1] Because of their application in the computer and photovoltaic industry—in devices such as transistors, lasers, and solar cells—the search for new semiconductor materials and the improvement of existing materials is an important field of study in materials science.

Contents

Most commonly used semiconductor materials are crystalline inorganic solids. These materials are classified according to the periodic table groups of their constituent atoms.

Different semiconductor materials differ in their properties. Thus, in comparison with silicon, compound semiconductors have both advantages and disadvantages. For example, gallium arsenide (GaAs) has six times higher electron mobility than silicon, which allows faster operation; wider band gap, which allows operation of power devices at higher temperatures, and gives lower thermal noise to low power devices at room temperature; its direct band gap gives it more favorable optoelectronic properties than the indirect band gap of silicon; it can be alloyed to ternary and quaternary compositions, with adjustable band gap width, allowing light emission at chosen wavelengths, which makes possible matching to the wavelengths most efficiently transmitted through optical fibers. GaAs can be also grown in a semi-insulating form, which is suitable as a lattice-matching insulating substrate for GaAs devices. Conversely, silicon is robust, cheap, and easy to process, whereas GaAs is brittle and expensive, and insulation layers cannot be created by just growing an oxide layer; GaAs is therefore used only where silicon is not sufficient. [2]

By alloying multiple compounds, some semiconductor materials are tunable, e.g., in band gap or lattice constant. The result is ternary, quaternary, or even quinary compositions. Ternary compositions allow adjusting the band gap within the range of the involved binary compounds; however, in case of combination of direct and indirect band gap materials there is a ratio where indirect band gap prevails, limiting the range usable for optoelectronics; e.g. AlGaAs LEDs are limited to 660 nm by this. Lattice constants of the compounds also tend to be different, and the lattice mismatch against the substrate, dependent on the mixing ratio, causes defects in amounts dependent on the mismatch magnitude; this influences the ratio of achievable radiative/nonradiative recombinations and determines the luminous efficiency of the device. Quaternary and higher compositions allow adjusting simultaneously the band gap and the lattice constant, allowing increasing radiant efficiency at wider range of wavelengths; for example AlGaInP is used for LEDs. Materials transparent to the generated wavelength of light are advantageous, as this allows more efficient extraction of photons from the bulk of the material. That is, in such transparent materials, light production is not limited to just the surface. Index of refraction is also composition-dependent and influences the extraction efficiency of photons from the material. [3]

Types of semiconductor materials

Compound semiconductors

A compound semiconductor is a semiconductor compound composed of chemical elements of at least two different species. These semiconductors form for example in periodic table groups 13–15 (old groups III–V), for example of elements from the Boron group (old group III, boron, aluminium, gallium, indium) and from group 15 (old group V, nitrogen, phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, bismuth). The range of possible formulae is quite broad because these elements can form binary (two elements, e.g. gallium(III) arsenide (GaAs)), ternary (three elements, e.g. indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs)) and quaternary alloys (four elements) such as aluminium gallium indium phosphide (AlInGaP)) alloy and Indium arsenide antimonide phosphide (InAsSbP). The properties of III-V compound semiconductors are similar to their group IV counterparts. The higher ionicity in these compounds, and especially in the II-VI compound, tends to increase the fundamental bandgap with respect to the less ionic compounds. [4]

Fabrication

Metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxy (MOVPE) is the most popular deposition technology for the formation of compound semiconducting thin films for devices.[ citation needed ] It uses ultrapure metalorganics and/or hydrides as precursor source materials in an ambient gas such as hydrogen.

Other techniques of choice include:

Table of semiconductor materials

GroupElem.MaterialFormula Band gap (eV)Gap typeDescription
IV1 Silicon Si1.12 [5] [6] indirect Used in conventional crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells, and in its amorphous form as amorphous silicon (a-Si) in thin-film solar cells. Most common semiconductor material in photovoltaics; dominates worldwide PV market; easy to fabricate; good electrical and mechanical properties. Forms high quality thermal oxide for insulation purposes. Most common material used in the fabrication of Integrated Circuits.
IV1 Germanium Ge0.67 [5] [6] indirectUsed in early radar detection diodes and first transistors; requires lower purity than silicon. A substrate for high-efficiency multijunction photovoltaic cells. Very similar lattice constant to gallium arsenide. High-purity crystals used for gamma spectroscopy. May grow whiskers, which impair reliability of some devices.
IV1 Diamond C5.47 [5] [6] indirectExcellent thermal conductivity. Superior mechanical and optical properties.

High carrier mobilities [7] and high electric breakdown field [8] at room temperature as excellent electronics characteristics. Extremely high nanomechanical resonator quality factor. [9]

IV1 Gray tin, α-SnSn0 [10] [11] semimetal Low temperature allotrope (diamond cubic lattice).
IV2 Silicon carbide, 3C-SiC SiC2.3 [5] indirectused for early yellow LEDs
IV2 Silicon carbide, 4H-SiC SiC3.3 [5] indirectUsed for high-voltage and high-temperature applications
IV2 Silicon carbide, 6H-SiC SiC3.0 [5] indirectused for early blue LEDs
VI1 Sulfur, α-S S82.6 [12]
VI1 Gray (trigonal) selenium Se1.83 - 2.0 [13] [14] indirectUsed in selenium rectifiers and solar cells. [15] Band gap depends on fabrication conditions.
VI1 Red selenium Se2.05indirect [16]
VI1 Tellurium Te0.33 [17]
III-V2 Boron nitride, cubicBN6.36 [18] indirectpotentially useful for ultraviolet LEDs
III-V2 Boron nitride, hexagonalBN5.96 [18] quasi-directpotentially useful for ultraviolet LEDs
III-V2 Boron nitride nanotube BN5.5 [19]
III-V2 Boron phosphide BP2.1 [20] indirect
III-V2 Boron arsenide BAs1.82directUltrahigh thermal conductivity for thermal management; Resistant to radiation damage, possible applications in betavoltaics.
III-V2 Boron arsenide B12As23.47indirectResistant to radiation damage, possible applications in betavoltaics.
III-V2 Aluminium nitride AlN6.28 [5] directPiezoelectric. Not used on its own as a semiconductor; AlN-close GaAlN possibly usable for ultraviolet LEDs. Inefficient emission at 210 nm was achieved on AlN.
III-V2 Aluminium phosphide AlP2.45 [6] indirect
III-V2 Aluminium arsenide AlAs2.16 [6] indirect
III-V2 Aluminium antimonide AlSb1.6/2.2 [6] indirect/direct
III-V2 Gallium nitride GaN3.44 [5] [6] directproblematic to be doped to p-type, p-doping with Mg and annealing allowed first high-efficiency blue LEDs [3] and blue lasers. Very sensitive to ESD. Insensitive to ionizing radiation. GaN transistors can operate at higher voltages and higher temperatures than GaAs, used in microwave power amplifiers. When doped with e.g. manganese, becomes a magnetic semiconductor.
III-V2 Gallium phosphide GaP2.26 [5] [6] indirectUsed in early low to medium brightness cheap red/orange/green LEDs. Used standalone or with GaAsP. Transparent for yellow and red light, used as substrate for GaAsP red/yellow LEDs. Doped with S or Te for n-type, with Zn for p-type. Pure GaP emits green, nitrogen-doped GaP emits yellow-green, ZnO-doped GaP emits red.
III-V2 Gallium arsenide GaAs1.42 [5] [6] directsecond most common in use after silicon, commonly used as substrate for other III-V semiconductors, e.g. InGaAs and GaInNAs. Brittle. Lower hole mobility than Si, P-type CMOS transistors unfeasible. High impurity density, difficult to fabricate small structures. Used for near-IR LEDs, fast electronics, and high-efficiency solar cells. Very similar lattice constant to germanium, can be grown on germanium substrates.
III-V2 Gallium antimonide GaSb0.73 [5] [6] directUsed for infrared detectors and LEDs and thermophotovoltaics. Doped n with Te, p with Zn.
III-V2 Indium nitride InN0.7 [5] directPossible use in solar cells, but p-type doping difficult. Used frequently as alloys.
III-V2 Indium phosphide InP1.35 [5] directCommonly used as substrate for epitaxial InGaAs. Superior electron velocity, used in high-power and high-frequency applications. Used in optoelectronics.
III-V2 Indium arsenide InAs0.36 [5] directUsed for infrared detectors for 1–3.8 μm, cooled or uncooled. High electron mobility. InAs dots in InGaAs matrix can serve as quantum dots. Quantum dots may be formed from a monolayer of InAs on InP or GaAs. Strong photo-Dember emitter, used as a terahertz radiation source.
III-V2 Indium antimonide InSb0.17 [5] directUsed in infrared detectors and thermal imaging sensors, high quantum efficiency, low stability, require cooling, used in military long-range thermal imager systems. AlInSb-InSb-AlInSb structure used as quantum well. Very high electron mobility, electron velocity and ballistic length. Transistors can operate below 0.5V and above 200 GHz. Terahertz frequencies maybe achievable.
II-VI2 Cadmium selenide CdSe1.74 [6] direct Nanoparticles used as quantum dots. Intrinsic n-type, difficult to dope p-type, but can be p-type doped with nitrogen. Possible use in optoelectronics. Tested for high-efficiency solar cells.
II-VI2 Cadmium sulfide CdS2.42 [6] directUsed in photoresistors and solar cells; CdS/Cu2S was the first efficient solar cell. Used in solar cells with CdTe. Common as quantum dots. Crystals can act as solid-state lasers. Electroluminescent. When doped, can act as a phosphor.
II-VI2 Cadmium telluride CdTe1.49 [6] directUsed in solar cells with CdS. Used in thin film solar cells and other cadmium telluride photovoltaics; less efficient than crystalline silicon but cheaper. High electro-optic effect, used in electro-optic modulators. Fluorescent at 790 nm. Nanoparticles usable as quantum dots.
II-VI, oxide2 Zinc oxide ZnO3.37 [6] directPhotocatalytic. Band gap is tunable from 3 to 4 eV by alloying with magnesium oxide and cadmium oxide. Intrinsic n-type, p-type doping is difficult. Heavy aluminium, indium, or gallium doping yields transparent conductive coatings; ZnO:Al is used as window coatings transparent in visible and reflective in infrared region and as conductive films in LCD displays and solar panels as a replacement of indium tin oxide. Resistant to radiation damage. Possible use in LEDs and laser diodes. Possible use in random lasers.
II-VI2 Zinc selenide ZnSe2.7 [6] directUsed for blue lasers and LEDs. Easy to n-type doping, p-type doping is difficult but can be done with e.g. nitrogen. Common optical material in infrared optics.
II-VI2 Zinc sulfide ZnS3.54/3.91 [6] directBand gap 3.54 eV (cubic), 3.91 (hexagonal). Can be doped both n-type and p-type. Common scintillator/phosphor when suitably doped.
II-VI2 Zinc telluride ZnTe2.3 [6] directCan be grown on AlSb, GaSb, InAs, and PbSe. Used in solar cells, components of microwave generators, blue LEDs and lasers. Used in electrooptics. Together with lithium niobate used to generate terahertz radiation.
I-VII2 Cuprous chloride CuCl3.4 [21] direct
I-VI2 Copper sulfide Cu2S1.2 [20] indirectp-type, Cu2S/CdS was the first efficient thin film solar cell
IV-VI2 Lead selenide PbSe0.26 [17] directUsed in infrared detectors for thermal imaging. Nanocrystals usable as quantum dots. Good high temperature thermoelectric material.
IV-VI2 Lead(II) sulfide PbS0.37 [22] Mineral galena, first semiconductor in practical use, used in cat's whisker detectors; the detectors are slow due to high dielectric constant of PbS. Oldest material used in infrared detectors. At room temperature can detect SWIR, longer wavelengths require cooling.
IV-VI2 Lead telluride PbTe0.32 [5] Low thermal conductivity, good thermoelectric material at elevated temperature for thermoelectric generators.
IV-VI2 Tin(II) sulfide SnS1.3/1.0 [23] direct/indirectTin sulfide (SnS) is a semiconductor with direct optical band gap of 1.3 eV and absorption coefficient above 104 cm−1 for photon energies above 1.3 eV. It is a p-type semiconductor whose electrical properties can be tailored by doping and structural modification and has emerged as one of the simple, non-toxic and affordable material for thin films solar cells since a decade.
IV-VI2 Tin(IV) sulfide SnS22.2 [24] SnS2 is widely used in gas sensing applications.
IV-VI2 Tin telluride SnTe0.18Complex band structure.
IV-VI3 Lead tin telluride Pb1−xSnxTe0-0.29Used in infrared detectors and for thermal imaging
V-VI, layered2 Bismuth telluride Bi2Te30.13 [5] Efficient thermoelectric material near room temperature when alloyed with selenium or antimony. Narrow-gap layered semiconductor. High electrical conductivity, low thermal conductivity. Topological insulator.
II-V2 Cadmium phosphide Cd3P20.5 [25]
II-V2 Cadmium arsenide Cd3As20N-type intrinsic semiconductor. Very high electron mobility. Used in infrared detectors, photodetectors, dynamic thin-film pressure sensors, and magnetoresistors. Recent measurements suggest that 3D Cd3As2 is actually a zero band-gap Dirac semimetal in which electrons behave relativistically as in graphene. [26]
II-V2 Zinc phosphide Zn3P21.5 [27] directUsually p-type.
II-V2 Zinc diphosphide ZnP22.1 [28]
II-V2 Zinc arsenide Zn3As21.0 [29] The lowest direct and indirect bandgaps are within 30 meV or each other. [29]
II-V2 Zinc antimonide Zn3Sb2Used in infrared detectors and thermal imagers, transistors, and magnetoresistors.
Oxide2 Titanium dioxide, anatase TiO23.20 [30] indirect photocatalytic, n-type
Oxide2 Titanium dioxide, rutile TiO23.0 [30] directphotocatalytic, n-type
Oxide2 Titanium dioxide, brookite TiO23.26 [30] [31]
Oxide2 Copper(I) oxide Cu2O2.17 [32] One of the most studied semiconductors. Many applications and effects first demonstrated with it. Formerly used in rectifier diodes, before silicon.
Oxide2 Copper(II) oxide CuO1.2N-type semiconductor. [33]
Oxide2 Uranium dioxide UO21.3High Seebeck coefficient, resistant to high temperatures, promising thermoelectric and thermophotovoltaic applications. Formerly used in URDOX resistors, conducting at high temperature. Resistant to radiation damage.
Oxide2 Tin dioxide SnO23.7Oxygen-deficient n-type semiconductor. Used in gas sensors.
Oxide3 Barium titanate BaTiO33 Ferroelectric, piezoelectric. Used in some uncooled thermal imagers. Used in nonlinear optics.
Oxide3 Strontium titanate SrTiO33.3 Ferroelectric, piezoelectric. Used in varistors. Conductive when niobium-doped.
Oxide3 Lithium niobate LiNbO34Ferroelectric, piezoelectric, shows Pockels effect. Wide uses in electrooptics and photonics.
V-VI2monoclinic Vanadium(IV) oxide VO20.7 [34] optical stable below 67 °C
Layered2 Lead(II) iodide PbI22.4 [35] PbI2 is a layered direct bandgap semiconductor with bandgap of 2.4 eV in its bulk form, whereas its 2D monolayer has an indirect bandgap of ~2.5 eV, with possibilities to tune the bandgap between 1–3 eV
Layered2 Molybdenum disulfide MoS21.23 eV (2H) [36] indirect
Layered2 Gallium selenide GaSe2.1indirectPhotoconductor. Uses in nonlinear optics. Used as 2D-material. Air sensitive. [37] [38] [39]
Layered2 Indium selenide InSe1.26-2.35 eV [39] direct (indirect in 2D)Air sensitive. High electrical mobility in few- and mono-layer form. [37] [38] [39]
Layered2 Tin sulfide SnS>1.5 eVdirect
Layered2 Bismuth sulfide Bi2S31.3 [5]
Magnetic, diluted (DMS) [40] 3 Gallium manganese arsenide GaMnAs
Magnetic, diluted (DMS)3 Lead manganese telluride PbMnTe
Magnetic4 Lanthanum calcium manganate La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 colossal magnetoresistance
Magnetic2 Iron(II) oxide FeO2.2 [41] antiferromagnetic Band gap for iron oxide nanoparticles was found to be 2.2 eV and on doping the band gap found to be increased up to 2.5 eV
Magnetic2 Nickel(II) oxide NiO3.6–4.0direct [42] [43] antiferromagnetic
Magnetic2 Europium(II) oxide EuO ferromagnetic
Magnetic2 Europium(II) sulfide EuSferromagnetic
Magnetic2 Chromium(III) bromide CrBr3
other3 Copper indium selenide, CISCuInSe21direct
other3 Silver gallium sulfide AgGaS2nonlinear optical properties
other3 Zinc silicon phosphide ZnSiP22.0 [20]
other2 Arsenic trisulfide Orpiment As2S32.7 [44] directsemiconductive in both crystalline and glassy state
other2 Arsenic sulfide Realgar As4S4semiconductive in both crystalline and glassy state
other2 Platinum silicide PtSiUsed in infrared detectors for 1–5 μm. Used in infrared astronomy. High stability, low drift, used for measurements. Low quantum efficiency.
other2 Bismuth(III) iodide BiI3
other2 Mercury(II) iodide HgI2Used in some gamma-ray and x-ray detectors and imaging systems operating at room temperature.
other2 Thallium(I) bromide TlBr2.68 [45] Used in some gamma-ray and x-ray detectors and imaging systems operating at room temperature. Used as a real-time x-ray image sensor.
other2 Silver sulfide Ag2S0.9 [46]
other2 Iron disulfide FeS20.95 [47] Mineral pyrite. Used in later cat's whisker detectors, investigated for solar cells.
other4 Copper zinc tin sulfide, CZTSCu2ZnSnS41.49directCu2ZnSnS4 is derived from CIGS, replacing the Indium/Gallium with earth abundant Zinc/Tin.
other4 Copper zinc antimony sulfide, CZASCu1.18Zn0.40Sb1.90S7.22.2 [48] directCopper zinc antimony sulfide is derived from copper antimony sulfide (CAS), a famatinite class of compound.
other3 Copper tin sulfide, CTSCu2SnS30.91 [20] directCu2SnS3 is p-type semiconductor and it can be used in thin film solar cell application.

Table of semiconductor alloy systems

The following semiconducting systems can be tuned to some extent, and represent not a single material but a class of materials.

GroupElem.Material classFormula Band gap (eV)Gap typeDescription
LowerUpper
IV-VI3 Lead tin telluride Pb1−xSnxTe00.29Used in infrared detectors and for thermal imaging
IV2 Silicon-germanium Si1−xGex0.671.11 [5] direct/indirectadjustable band gap, allows construction of heterojunction structures. Certain thicknesses of superlattices have direct band gap. [49]
IV2 Silicon-tin Si1−xSnx1.01.11indirectAdjustable band gap. [50]
III-V3 Aluminium gallium arsenide AlxGa1−xAs1.422.16 [5] direct/indirectdirect band gap for x<0.4 (corresponding to 1.42–1.95 eV); can be lattice-matched to GaAs substrate over entire composition range; tends to oxidize; n-doping with Si, Se, Te; p-doping with Zn, C, Be, Mg. [3] Can be used for infrared laser diodes. Used as a barrier layer in GaAs devices to confine electrons to GaAs (see e.g. QWIP). AlGaAs with composition close to AlAs is almost transparent to sunlight. Used in GaAs/AlGaAs solar cells.
III-V3 Indium gallium arsenide InxGa1−xAs0.361.43directWell-developed material. Can be lattice matched to InP substrates. Use in infrared technology and thermophotovoltaics. Indium content determines charge carrier density. For x=0.015, InGaAs perfectly lattice-matches germanium; can be used in multijunction photovoltaic cells. Used in infrared sensors, avalanche photodiodes, laser diodes, optical fiber communication detectors, and short-wavelength infrared cameras.
III-V3 Indium gallium phosphide InxGa1−xP1.352.26direct/indirectUsed for HEMT and HBT structures and high-efficiency multijunction solar cells for e.g. satellites. Ga0.5In0.5P is almost lattice-matched to GaAs, with AlGaIn used for quantum wells for red lasers.
III-V3 Aluminium indium arsenide AlxIn1−xAs0.362.16direct/indirectBuffer layer in metamorphic HEMT transistors, adjusting lattice constant between GaAs substrate and GaInAs channel. Can form layered heterostructures acting as quantum wells, in e.g. quantum cascade lasers.
III-V3 Aluminium gallium antimonide AlxGa1−xSb0.71.61direct/indirectUsed in HBTs, HEMTs, resonant-tunneling diodes and some niche optoelectronics. Also used as a buffer layer for InAs quantum wells.
III-V3 Aluminium indium antimonide AlxIn1−xSb0.171.61direct/indirectUsed as a buffer layer in InSb-based quantum wells and other devices grown on GaAs and GaSb substrates. Also used as the active layer in some mid-infrared LEDs and photodiodes.
III-V3 Gallium arsenide nitride GaAsN
III-V3 Gallium arsenide phosphide GaAsP1.432.26direct/indirectUsed in red, orange and yellow LEDs. Often grown on GaP. Can be doped with nitrogen.
III-V3 Aluminium arsenide antimonide AlAsSb1.612.16indirectUsed as a barrier layer in infrared photodetectors. Can be lattice matched to GaSb, InAs and InP.
III-V3 Gallium arsenide antimonide GaAsSb0.71.42 [5] directUsed in HBTs and in tunnel junctions in multi-junction solar cells. GaAs0.51Sb0.49 is lattice matched to InP.
III-V3 Aluminium gallium nitride AlGaN3.446.28directUsed in blue laser diodes, ultraviolet LEDs (down to 250 nm), and AlGaN/GaN HEMTs. Can be grown on sapphire. Used in heterojunctions with AlN and GaN.
III-V3 Aluminium gallium phosphide AlGaP2.262.45indirectUsed in some green LEDs.
III-V3 Indium gallium nitride InGaN23.4directInxGa1–xN, x usually between 0.02 and 0.3 (0.02 for near-UV, 0.1 for 390 nm, 0.2 for 420 nm, 0.3 for 440 nm). Can be grown epitaxially on sapphire, SiC wafers or silicon. Used in modern blue and green LEDs, InGaN quantum wells are effective emitters from green to ultraviolet. Insensitive to radiation damage, possible use in satellite solar cells. Insensitive to defects, tolerant to lattice mismatch damage. High heat capacity.
III-V3 Indium arsenide antimonide InAsSb0.170.36directPrimarily used in mid- and long-wave infrared photodetectors due to its small bandgap, which reaches a minimum of around 0.08 eV in InAs0.4Sb0.6 at room temperature.
III-V3 Indium gallium antimonide InGaSb0.170.7directUsed in some transistors and infrared photodetectors.
III-V4 Aluminium gallium indium phosphide AlGaInPdirect/indirectalso InAlGaP, InGaAlP, AlInGaP; for lattice matching to GaAs substrates the In mole fraction is fixed at about 0.48, the Al/Ga ratio is adjusted to achieve band gaps between about 1.9 and 2.35 eV; direct or indirect band gaps depending on the Al/Ga/In ratios; used for waveengths between 560 and 650 nm; tends to form ordered phases during deposition, which has to be prevented [3]
III-V4 Aluminium gallium arsenide phosphide AlGaAsP
III-V4 Indium gallium arsenide phosphide InGaAsP
III-V4 Indium gallium arsenide antimonide InGaAsSbUse in thermophotovoltaics.
III-V4 Indium arsenide antimonide phosphide InAsSbPUse in thermophotovoltaics.
III-V4 Aluminium indium arsenide phosphide AlInAsP
III-V4 Aluminium gallium arsenide nitride AlGaAsN
III-V4 Indium gallium arsenide nitride InGaAsN
III-V4 Indium aluminium arsenide nitride InAlAsN
III-V4 Gallium arsenide antimonide nitride GaAsSbN
III-V5 Gallium indium nitride arsenide antimonide GaInNAsSb
III-V5 Gallium indium arsenide antimonide phosphide GaInAsSbPCan be grown on InAs, GaSb, and other substrates. Can be lattice matched by varying composition. Possibly usable for mid-infrared LEDs.
II-VI3 Cadmium zinc telluride, CZTCdZnTe1.42.2directEfficient solid-state x-ray and gamma-ray detector, can operate at room temperature. High electro-optic coefficient. Used in solar cells. Can be used to generate and detect terahertz radiation. Can be used as a substrate for epitaxial growth of HgCdTe.
II-VI3 Mercury cadmium telluride HgCdTe01.5Known as "MerCad". Extensive use in sensitive cooled infrared imaging sensors, infrared astronomy, and infrared detectors. Alloy of mercury telluride (a semimetal, zero band gap) and CdTe. High electron mobility. The only common material capable of operating in both 3–5 μm and 12–15 μm atmospheric windows. Can be grown on CdZnTe.
II-VI3 Mercury zinc telluride HgZnTe02.25Used in infrared detectors, infrared imaging sensors, and infrared astronomy. Better mechanical and thermal properties than HgCdTe but more difficult to control the composition. More difficult to form complex heterostructures.
II-VI3 Mercury zinc selenide HgZnSe
II-V4 Zinc cadmium phosphide arsenide (Zn1−xCdx)3(P1−yAsy)2 [51] 0 [26] 1.5 [52] Various applications in optoelectronics (incl. photovoltaics), electronics and thermoelectrics. [53]
other4 Copper indium gallium selenide, CIGSCu(In,Ga)Se211.7directCuInxGa1–xSe2. Polycrystalline. Used in thin film solar cells.

See also

Related Research Articles

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In semiconductor production, doping is the intentional introduction of impurities into an intrinsic (undoped) semiconductor for the purpose of modulating its electrical, optical and structural properties. The doped material is referred to as an extrinsic semiconductor.

Magnetic semiconductors are semiconductor materials that exhibit both ferromagnetism and useful semiconductor properties. If implemented in devices, these materials could provide a new type of control of conduction. Whereas traditional electronics are based on control of charge carriers, practical magnetic semiconductors would also allow control of quantum spin state. This would theoretically provide near-total spin polarization, which is an important property for spintronics applications, e.g. spin transistors.

Indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) is a ternary alloy of indium arsenide (InAs) and gallium arsenide (GaAs). Indium and gallium are group III elements of the periodic table while arsenic is a group V element. Alloys made of these chemical groups are referred to as "III-V" compounds. InGaAs has properties intermediate between those of GaAs and InAs. InGaAs is a room-temperature semiconductor with applications in electronics and photonics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Infrared detector</span>

An infrared detector is a detector that reacts to infrared (IR) radiation. The two main types of detectors are thermal and photonic (photodetectors).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indium gallium nitride</span> Chemical compound

Indium gallium nitride is a semiconductor material made of a mix of gallium nitride (GaN) and indium nitride (InN). It is a ternary group III/group V direct bandgap semiconductor. Its bandgap can be tuned by varying the amount of indium in the alloy. InxGa1−xN has a direct bandgap span from the infrared for InN to the ultraviolet of GaN. The ratio of In/Ga is usually between 0.02/0.98 and 0.3/0.7.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gallium phosphide</span> Chemical compound

Gallium phosphide (GaP), a phosphide of gallium, is a compound semiconductor material with an indirect band gap of 2.24 eV at room temperature. Impure polycrystalline material has the appearance of pale orange or grayish pieces. Undoped single crystals are orange, but strongly doped wafers appear darker due to free-carrier absorption. It is odorless and insoluble in water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gallium antimonide</span> Chemical compound

Gallium antimonide (GaSb) is a semiconducting compound of gallium and antimony of the III-V family. It has a room temperature lattice constant of about 0.610 nm. It has a room temperature direct bandgap of approximately 0.73 eV.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boron arsenide</span> Chemical compound

Boron arsenide is a chemical compound involving boron and arsenic, usually with a chemical formula BAs. Other boron arsenide compounds are known, such as the subarsenide B12As2. Chemical synthesis of cubic BAs is very challenging and its single crystal forms usually have defects.

IQE PLC is a British semiconductor company founded 1988 in Cardiff, Wales, which manufactures advanced epitaxial wafers for a wide range of technology applications for wireless, optoelectronic, electronic and solar devices. IQE specialises in advanced silicon and compound semiconductor materials based on gallium arsenide (GaAs), indium phosphide (InP), gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon. The company is the largest independent outsource producer of epiwafers manufactured by metalorganic vapour phase epitaxy (MOCVD), molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rubin Braunstein</span> American physicist and educator (1922–2018)

Rubin Braunstein (1922–2018) was an American physicist and educator. In 1955 he published the first measurements of light emission by semiconductor diodes made from crystals of gallium arsenide (GaAs), gallium antimonide (GaSb), and indium phosphide (InP). GaAs, GaSb, and InP are examples of III-V semiconductors. The III-V semiconductors absorb and emit light much more strongly than silicon, which is the best-known semiconductor. Braunstein's devices are the forerunners of contemporary LED lighting and semiconductor lasers, which typically employ III-V semiconductors. The 2000 and 2014 Nobel Prizes in Physics were awarded for further advances in closely related fields.

Aluminium indium antimonide, also known as indium aluminium antimonide or AlInSb (AlxIn1-xSb), is a ternary III-V semiconductor compound. It can be considered as an alloy between aluminium antimonide and indium antimonide. The alloy can contain any ratio between aluminium and indium. AlInSb refers generally to any composition of the alloy.

Gallium arsenide antimonide, also known as gallium antimonide arsenide or GaAsSb, is a ternary III-V semiconductor compound; x indicates the fractions of arsenic and antimony in the alloy. GaAsSb refers generally to any composition of the alloy. It is an alloy of gallium arsenide (GaAs) and gallium antimonide (GaSb).

Gallium indium antimonide, also known as indium gallium antimonide, GaInSb, or InGaSb (GaxIn1-xSb), is a ternary III-V semiconductor compound. It can be considered as an alloy between gallium antimonide and indium antimonide. The alloy can contain any ratio between gallium and indium. GaInSb refers generally to any composition of the alloy.

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