Why gallium arsenide

They can also be operated at higher power levels than the equivalent silicon device because they have higher breakdown voltages. These properties recommend GaAs circuitry in mobile phones, satellite communications, microwave point-to-point links, and some radar systems.

Gallium arsenide GaAs is also known as single-crystalline thin film and are high cost high efficiency solar cells. This kind of solar cell powers the rovers Spirit and Opportunity, which are exploring Mars' surface. Gallium arsenide GaAs is a compound of the elements gallium and arsenic. For further information please call the E. Gallium Arsenide GaAs. Jars, pails, drums. Buying Info. Request a Quote. These are flat, circular platters of purified material.

Subsequent manufacturing steps create computer chips, solar cells or other electronic devices on top of these wafers. Today the working electronic circuits in a gallium arsenide device are grown on top of this wafer.

Manufacturers make this circuitry layer by flowing gaseous gallium arsenide and other materials across the wafer surface. This material condenses into thin layer of circuitry atop the wafer. In this scenario, the wafer is only a backing. The thin layer of circuitry on top of this costly platter contains all of the electronics. To make the wafer reusable, the new process would add several steps to the manufacturing process.

The researchers demonstrated the technique in their experiments. Then they used standard processes of gas deposition to form a gallium arsenide circuit layer on top of the disposable layer. Next, using a laser, they vaporized the disposable layer and lifted off the circuitry layer like a flapjack on a greased griddle. They mounted this thin circuitry layer on a more solid backing and cleaned the costly gallium arsenide wafer to make the next batch of circuits.

Nainani estimates that this reuse could create gallium arsenide devices that would be 50 to times more expensive than silicon circuits—still a big differential but much less than what exists today. Silicon is inexpensive today because, over time, the electronics industry has focused all of its ingenuity on making silicon cheaper. Source: Stanford University. Search for:. Science Health Culture Environment.

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