GaAsH

GaAsH refers to chemical species derived from gallium arsenide (GaAs) that include a hydrogen atom. In scholarly use, GaAsH may denote a neutral molecule, or a charged form such as GaAsH+ or GaAsH−, depending on the experimental or theoretical context. It is studied primarily as a reactive intermediate in gas-phase chemistry of Ga–As systems and as a model for hydrogen interactions with GaAs surfaces.

Structural considerations for GaAsH include isomers in which the hydrogen is bonded to gallium (Ga–H–As) or to arsenic (Ga–As–H). The Ga–As core is covalent, and the presence of hydrogen modifies bonding and geometry, leading to different vibrational signatures. The preferred structure depends on the charge state, spin state, and surrounding environment, and detailed computational or spectroscopic studies are usually required to distinguish isomers.

Production and detection methods typically involve gas-phase techniques such as laser ablation or molecular beam experiments starting from GaAs and hydrogen sources. GaAsH species can be identified by mass spectrometry and vibrational spectroscopy; ionic forms may be investigated with infrared or photoelectron spectroscopy in the gas phase. In solid-state processing, hydrogen termination of GaAs surfaces tends to produce Ga–H and As–H terminations, and discrete GaAsH molecules are more often discussed as intermediates or fragments in reactive processing rather than as stable surface species.

Significance of GaAsH lies in its relevance to hydrogen interactions with III–V semiconductors and to the understanding of Ga–As–H bonding. Insights from GaAsH studies contribute to fundamental gas-phase chemistry, semiconductor surface passivation concepts, and the broader chemistry of gallium–arsenide hydrides.