antimonidebased

Antimonide-based materials are semiconductors that include antimony in combination with other group III elements, forming III-V antimonides such as GaSb, InSb, and AlSb, as well as ternaries and quaternaries like InGaSb, AlInSb, and GaInSb. They typically crystallize in the zinc blende structure and often have direct, narrow band gaps that enable strong infrared absorption.

These materials can be grown by epitaxial methods such as molecular beam epitaxy and metal-organic chemical vapor deposition on lattices matched substrates like GaSb or InSb. Lattice matching and interface quality are critical for device performance. Band gaps range from about 0.17 eV for InSb to roughly 0.726 eV for GaSb at room temperature, with alloying allowing tuning into the mid- infrared. They exhibit high electron and hole mobilities compared with many semiconductors, supporting high-speed electronics and sensitive infrared detectors.

Antimonide-based materials play a major role in infrared detectors, especially short- to mid-wavelength IR detectors based on InSb and GaInSb alloys, and in long-wavelength detectors using superlattices such as InAs/GaSb. They are used in infrared focal plane arrays for surveillance and night vision, spectroscopy, and optical communications, as well as in research on quantum wells and tunneling devices. InSb-based high-electron-mobility transistors are another area of electronic device research.

Challenges include toxicity of antimony compounds, sensitivity to defects and surface states, and the need for cryogenic cooling for many detectors. Ongoing research focuses on improving growth techniques, reducing defect densities, and developing integrated structures such as type-II superlattices and nanostructures to extend operating wavelengths and performance.