Gallium nitride
| Names | |
|---|---|
| IUPAC name
Gallium nitride | |
| Other names
gallium(III) nitride | |
| Identifiers | |
3D model (JSmol) |
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| ChemSpider | |
| ECHA InfoCard | 100.042.830 |
PubChem CID |
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| UNII | |
CompTox Dashboard (EPA) |
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| Properties | |
| GaN | |
| Molar mass | 83.730 g/mol |
| Appearance | yellow powder |
| Density | 6.1 g/cm3 |
| Melting point | > 1600 °C |
| Insoluble | |
| Band gap | 3.4 eV (300 K, direct) |
| Electron mobility | 1500 cm2/(V·s) (300 K) |
| Thermal conductivity | 1.3 W/(cm·K) (300 K) |
Refractive index (nD) |
2.429 |
| Structure | |
| Wurtzite | |
| C6v4-P63mc | |
a = 3.186 Å, c = 5.186 Å | |
| Tetrahedral | |
| Thermochemistry | |
Std enthalpy of formation (ΔfH⦵298) |
−110.2 kJ/mol |
| Hazards | |
| Flash point | Non-flammable |
| Related compounds | |
Other anions |
Gallium phosphide Gallium arsenide Gallium antimonide |
Other cations |
Boron nitride Aluminium nitride Indium nitride |
Related compounds |
Aluminium gallium arsenide Indium gallium arsenide Gallium arsenide phosphide Aluminium gallium nitride Indium gallium nitride |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
Infobox references | |
Gallium nitride (GaN) is a binary III/V direct bandgap semiconductor commonly used in blue light-emitting diodes since the 1990s. The compound is a very hard material that has a Wurtzite crystal structure. Its wide band gap of 3.4 eV affords it special properties for applications in optoelectronic, high-power and high-frequency devices. For example, GaN is the substrate which makes violet (405 nm) laser diodes possible, without requiring nonlinear optical frequency-doubling.
Its sensitivity to ionizing radiation is low (like other group III nitrides), making it a suitable material for solar cell arrays for satellites. Military and space applications could also benefit as devices have shown stability in high radiation environments.
Because GaN transistors can operate at much higher temperatures and work at much higher voltages than gallium arsenide (GaAs) transistors, they make ideal power amplifiers at microwave frequencies. In addition, GaN offers promising characteristics for THz 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 power supplies in electronic equipment, converting AC mains electricity to low-voltage DC.