Electronic, magnetic & optical materials · Semiconductors
Gallium nitride semiconductor
A wide-bandgap semiconductor used in high-frequency, high-power and optoelectronic devices, often grown epitaxially on silicon, silicon carbide or sapphire.
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01
Overview
- Material class
- Electronic, magnetic & optical materials
- Category
- Semiconductors
- Family
- Wide-Bandgap Semiconductor
- Product forms
- Not specified
Composition
| Constituent | Min | Max | Typical | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ga | 83.2 | stoichiometric mass % | ||
| N | 16.8 | stoichiometric mass % |
02
Properties and conditions
Engineering properties
| Property | Value | Unit | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 6.15 | g/cm³ | Representative; verify product form and condition |
| Band gap | 3.4 | eV | 300 K |
| Critical electric field | ~3.3 | MV/cm | Representative; verify product form and condition |
| Electron saturation velocity | high | power/RF advantage | |
| Thermal conductivity | ~130–230 | W/m·K | crystal quality dependent |
| Operating temperature | high | device/package dependent |
Conditions
Reference material state
Purity, orientation, doping and processing state must be stated.
03
Processing and use
Processing
- Substrate choice controls cost, thermal resistance and wafer size.
- Packaging parasitics and thermal interfaces often limit system performance.
Applications
- Fast chargers
- RF amplifiers
- LEDs
- Power converters
Selection considerations
- GaN excels at high switching frequency but requires careful gate and transient design.
- Reliability data are device- and supplier-specific.
04
Standards and related materials
Standards and designations
| System | Designation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| JEDEC | GaN power/RF device standards | device dependent |
05
Sources and context
Sources
- DOE critical materials: gallium nitrideExisting reference
- USGS gallium commodity summaryExisting reference
- U.S. Department of Energy critical materials programStrategic reference
Confirm the applicable specification, product form and condition before using values for design or procurement.
Supply and sustainability
Gallium supply is by-product dependent; epitaxy and device fabrication are concentrated in specialist firms.
Higher conversion efficiency reduces use-phase losses; recovery from thin epitaxial layers remains challenging.
Strategic context
Key power-electronics and RF material for efficient chargers, data centres, radar and 5G infrastructure.
Critical inputs: G, a, l, l, i, u, m
Basis: EU Critical Raw Materials Act (2024); USGS 2025 Critical Minerals List; US DOE Critical Materials Assessment (2023)