Gallium nitride

Gallium nitride (<a href="/facts/Gallium/EucevDs9">Ga</a><a href="/facts/Nitrogen/Nf1QpGDz">N</a>) is a binary <a href="/facts/Boron_group/RXnvqnNk">III</a>/<a href="/facts/Nitrogen_group/jX4hvCkK">V</a> <a href="/facts/Direct_bandgap/9T1kkc6y">direct bandgap</a> <a href="/facts/Semiconductor/zFf3mGTE">semiconductor</a> commonly used in blue <a href="/facts/Light-emitting_diode/gE8x4MDb">light-emitting diodes</a> since the 1990s. The <a href="/facts/Compound_(chemistry)/37FXqqtv">compound</a> is a very hard material that has a <a href="/facts/Wurtzite_crystal_structure/dJLTu9SB">Wurtzite crystal structure</a>. Its wide <a href="/facts/Band_gap/IjIeh95l">band gap</a> of 3.4 <a href="/facts/Electronvolt/YMT1fqX9">eV</a> affords it <a href="/facts/Wide-bandgap_semiconductor/UdF7rCrp">special properties</a> for applications in <a href="/facts/Optoelectronic/0SCr9px0">optoelectronics</a>, high-power and high-frequency devices. For example, GaN is the substrate that makes violet (405 nm) laser diodes possible, without requiring nonlinear optical <a href="/facts/Second-harmonic_generation/NzWSrT3J">frequency doubling</a>.
Its sensitivity to <a href="/facts/Ionizing_radiation/vw0d9GaT">ionizing radiation</a> is low (like other <a href="/facts/Boron_group/RXnvqnNk">group III</a> <a href="/facts/Nitride/9vkrCbJ4">nitrides</a>), making it a suitable material for <a href="/facts/Solar_cell/3L814UCC">solar cell</a> arrays for <a href="/facts/Satellite/PTX8c68t">satellites</a>. Military and space applications could also benefit as <a href="/facts/Radiation_hardening/nB4Wbctl">devices have shown stability in high radiation environments</a>.
Because GaN transistors can operate at much higher temperatures and work at much higher voltages than <a href="/facts/Gallium_arsenide/BakLFjpp">gallium arsenide</a> (GaAs) transistors, they make ideal power amplifiers at microwave frequencies. In addition, GaN offers promising characteristics for <a href="/facts/Terahertz_radiation/729QecPK">THz</a> devices. Due to high power density and voltage breakdown limits GaN is also emerging as a promising candidate for 5G cellular base station applications. Since the early 2020s, GaN power transistors have come into increasing use in <a href="/facts/Power_supply/4A8zBRHn">power supplies</a> in electronic equipment, converting <a href="/facts/Alternating_current/qxICS3xa">AC</a> <a href="/facts/Mains_electricity/rjE90Hg0">mains electricity</a> to low-voltage <a href="/facts/Direct_current/r9MNUx84">DC</a>.

Gallium nitride open-in-new

Gallium nitride