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Feature

III-V compound SC for optoelectronic devices

12 April 2009
Sudha Mokkapati and Chennupati Jagadish

III-V compound semiconductors (SC) have played a crucial role in the development of optoelectronic devices for a broad range of applications. Major applications of InP or GaAs based III-V compound SC are devices for optical fiber communications, infrared and visible LEDs/LDs and high efficiency solar cells. GaN based compounds are extremely important for short wavelength light emitters used in solid state lighting systems. We review the important device applications of various III-V compound SC materials.

Semiconductor devices have become an integral part of our lives. Si is the prime elemental semiconductor that has revolutionized the microelectronics industry. However, Si is an indirect bandgap semiconductor and thus an inefficient light emitter/absorber. Optoelectronic devices involve interaction between photons and electrons. Direct bandgap semiconductors that show strong absorption/emission characteristics are best suited for such applications. Most widely used semiconductors for optoelectronic device applications are compounds formed between elements of group III and group V of the periodic table. These compound semiconductors find applications in different optoelectronic devices based on these parameters. The bandgap of the compound semiconductors can be engineered by alloying them. Bandgap engineering enables formation of heterojunctions that is critical for design of high performance optoelectronic devices like lasers.

 

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