Compound semiconductors

What is the main reason GaAs has been used in RF amplifiers for mobile phones and similar applications?

  1. AIts wafers are cheap and easy to make in large diameters
  2. BIt readily forms a high-quality thermal oxide
  3. CIts electron mobility is higher than Si's
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Answer: C. Its electron mobility is higher than Si's

GaAs has an electron mobility several times that of Si and operates well at high frequencies, so it has been used in RF amplifiers and switches. On the other hand, its wafers are more expensive than Si, hard to make in large diameters, and it cannot form a high-quality thermal oxide as Si can.

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More Compound semiconductors questions

  1. What are InP (indium phosphide)-based compound semiconductors mainly used for?
  2. Which material is mainly used in the light-emitting layer of blue LEDs?
  3. What is an advantage of alloy semiconductors such as AlGaAs?
  4. What is a typical application of HEMTs (high electron mobility transistors)?
  5. In GaN devices, which substrates are commonly used for growing the GaN layers?