In047Ga053As

Indium Gallium Arsenide, often abbreviated as InGaAs, is a semiconductor alloy with a chemical formula of In_xGa_{1-x}As. The subscript 'x' represents the mole fraction of Indium, and in the specific case of In0.47Ga0.53As, the mole fraction of Indium is 0.47 and the mole fraction of Gallium is 0.53. This particular composition is significant because it is lattice-matched to Indium Phosphide (InP) substrates. Lattice matching is crucial for growing high-quality semiconductor layers, as it minimizes strain and defects that can degrade device performance.

In0.47Ga0.53As is a direct bandgap semiconductor, meaning that electrons can transition between the conduction band and valence band by emitting or absorbing photons. Its bandgap energy is approximately 0.74 eV at room temperature, which falls within the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. This characteristic makes it highly suitable for applications involving infrared light.

The primary applications of In0.47Ga0.53As are found in optoelectronic devices. It is widely used in the fabrication of photodetectors, particularly for fiber optic communication systems operating at wavelengths of 1.3 µm and 1.55 µm. These wavelengths are chosen because they correspond to low loss windows in standard silica optical fibers. Furthermore, In0.47Ga0.53As is a key material in the production of lasers and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for telecommunications and other infrared sensing applications. Its electronic properties also lend themselves to high-speed electronic devices such as high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) and heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs), where its high electron mobility can be exploited for faster switching speeds.