GALLIUM PHOSPHIDE

Chemical properties

Pale-orange, transparent crystals or whiskers up to 2 cmlong, made by vapor phase reaction at relatively low temperatures between phosphorus and gallium suboxide. These crystals are intermediate between normal semiconductors and insulators or phosphors. They operate over a temperature range of ?55 to 500C. Gallium phosphide is electroluminescent in visible light.

Physical properties

Pale orange to yellow transparent cubic crystals or long whiskers; density 4.138 g/cm³; melts at 1,477°C; dielectric constant 8.4; electroluminescent in visible light.
The transmittance rises steeply at λ: 0.55 mm to reach about 20% until λ: 1 mm and decreases for the longer wavelength until it is opaque at λ: 3 mm. This crystal has a spectral feature where the reflectance takes high values in its entire range, and almost 100% especially at the peak value of λ: 26.56 mm.

The Uses of GALLIUM PHOSPHIDE

Gallium phosphide (GaP) is used in semiconductor devices, and in the manufacture of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) doped with other elements or in combination with gallium arsenide phosphide. With appropriate dopants, p-type and n-type semiconductors can be produced. It is used in optical systems.

The Uses of GALLIUM PHOSPHIDE

In semiconductor electronics.

The Uses of GALLIUM PHOSPHIDE

Galllium phosphide (GaP) is a light-colored highly pure crystal form used as “whiskers” and crystals in semiconductor devices.

Preparation

The compound is prepared by vapor phase reaction of gallium suboxide, Ga2O and phosphorus. It is produced in polycrystalline form or as single crystals or whiskers in high purity grade for use in semiconducting devices.

Structure and conformation

The space lattice of gallium phosphide (GaP) belongs to the cubic system, and its zinc-blende-type structure has a lattice constant of a=0.544 nm and GaP=0.236 nm.