Gallium arsenide electronic materials

Silicon is not as prominent a material in optoelectronics as it is in purely electronic applications, since its optical properties are limited. Yet it finds use as a photodetector with a response time in the nanosecond range and a spectral response band from 0.4 to 1.1 im, which matches the 0.905 im photoemission line of gallium arsenide. Silicon is transparent beyond 1.1 im and experiments have shown that a red light can be produced by shining an unfocused green laser beam on a specially prepared ultrathin crystal-silicon slice.CVD may prove useful in preparing such a material. 

Semiconductor A generic term for a device that controls electrical signals. It specifically refers to a material (such as silicon, germanium or gallium arsenide) that can be altered either to conduct electrical current or to block its passage. Carbon nanotubes may eventually be used as semiconductors. Semiconductors are partly responsible for the miniaturization of modem electronic devices, as they are vital components in computer memory and processor chips. The manufacture of semiconductors is carried out by small firms, and by industry giants such as Intel and Advanced Micro Devices. 

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