Gallium antimonide

Odorless, black - gray, shiny metallic solids

Fixed

5.61 g · cm -3

712 ° C

Insoluble in water

3.8

Attention

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The compound semiconductor gallium antimonide ( GaSb ) is a semiconductor with a direct band gap of 0.72 eV (300 K). It consists of the elements gallium (Ga), and antimony (Sb).

Production and representation

Gallium can be obtained by melting together of equivalent amounts of gallium and antimony, in an inert atmosphere.

Properties

As in most III-V semiconductors, the crystal structure of the zincblende structure, the lattice constant of 6.09593 Angstroms, which corresponds to 3.53 · 1022 atoms/cm3.

Unlike most other semiconductor, it is not possible to produce semi-insulating gallium. Nominally undoped gallium has namely a natural p-type conductivity ( 1016 to 1017 cm -3). The natural acceptor is still subject of current debate. When the cause of a gallium vacancy or a gallium vacancy complex or a gallium atom on an antimony lattice site is considered possible. Gallium antimonide is diamagnetic.

Use

GaSb is for the production of optoelectronic devices such as laser diodes with a low threshold voltage, photo detectors with high quantum efficiency and high-frequency components, is of increasing importance.