Compound Semiconductor

Compound semiconductors are compounds made of two or more elements, unlike semiconductors made of a single element such as Si, which is the mainstream of semiconductors.

There are compound semiconductors that combine elements from group III and group V, elements from group II and group VI, and elements from group IV. Examples include GaAs, InP, InGaAlP, and SiGe, which have traditionally been used as high-frequency devices and optical semiconductors. InGaN has also attracted attention as a blue LED and laser diode, and SiC and GaN have been commercialized as materials for power semiconductors.

Compound semiconductors used in devices have higher mobility (high frequency, high switching, high efficiency) than single-element semiconductors such as Si, and have a wide band gap (high temperature operation, high voltage resistance) due to the strong bonding force between atoms. As a result, compound devices are used in power devices, optical devices such as LEDs, and high-frequency devices. Semiconductors with wide band gaps, including single-element semiconductors (such as diamond), are also called wide-band gap semiconductors.

• Products
  • Semiconductor
• FAQ
  • All Semiconductor Devices