Gallium(III) nitride
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| Names | |
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IUPAC name
Gallium nitride
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| Identifiers | |
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3D model (Jmol)
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| ChemSpider | |
| ECHA InfoCard | 100.042.830 |
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PubChem CID
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| RTECS number | LW9640000 |
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| Properties | |
| GaN | |
| Molar mass | 83.730 g/mol |
| Appearance | yellow powder |
| Density | 6.1 g/cm3 |
| Melting point | >2500 °C |
| Insoluble | |
| Band gap | 3.4 eV (300 K, direct) |
| Electron mobility | 440 cm2/(V·s) (300 K) |
| Thermal conductivity | 1.3 W/(cm·K) (300 K) |
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Refractive index (nD)
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2.429 |
| Structure | |
| Wurtzite | |
| C6v4-P63mc | |
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a = 3.186 Å, c = 5.186 Å
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| Tetrahedral | |
| Thermochemistry | |
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Std enthalpy of
formation (ΔfH |
−110.2 kJ/mol |
| Hazards | |
| Flash point | Non-flammable |
| Related compounds | |
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Other anions
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Gallium phosphide Gallium arsenide Gallium antimonide |
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Other cations
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Boron nitride Aluminium nitride Indium nitride |
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Related compounds
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Aluminium gallium arsenide Indium gallium arsenide Gallium arsenide phosphide Aluminium gallium nitride Indium gallium nitride |
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Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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 (what is   ?) |
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| Infobox references | |
Gallium nitride (GaN) is a binary III/V direct bandgap semiconductor commonly used in 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 use of 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 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.
GaN is a very hard (12±2 GPa), mechanically stable wide bandgap semiconductor material with high heat capacity and thermal conductivity. In its pure form it resists cracking and can be deposited in thin film on sapphire or silicon carbide, despite the mismatch in their lattice constants. GaN can be doped with silicon (Si) or with oxygen to n-type and with magnesium (Mg) to p-type; however, the Si and Mg atoms change the way the GaN crystals grow, introducing tensile stresses and making them brittle.Gallium nitride compounds also tend to have a high dislocation density, on the order of a hundred million to ten billion defects per square centimeter.
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