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gallium arsenide

chemical compound
Also known as: GaAs

Quick Summary

Gallium arsenide (GaAs) is a synthetic compound used as a semiconducting material. It is formed by combining gallium, a metal from Group 13 of the periodic table, with arsenic, a nonmetal from Group 15.123

Key Properties and Uses:

  • Semiconductor Properties: GaAs offers advantages over silicon, including higher electron mobility, leading to faster operating speeds and lower voltage operation for certain functions.3
  • Optoelectronic Applications: A significant characteristic of GaAs and other III-V compounds is their ability to be tailored to generate or detect specific wavelengths of light. This makes them crucial for applications like light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and semiconductor lasers.3
  • Manufacturing: While more difficult to handle and more expensive than silicon, GaAs is used in specialized electronic and optoelectronic devices. Aluminum gallium arsenide (AlGaAs) is a related semiconductor sometimes used in manufacturing.34
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