Compound semiconductors

Which compound semiconductor, with very high electron mobility, is used in magnetic sensors (Hall elements) and the like?

  1. ASiC
  2. BInSb (indium antimonide)
  3. CAlN
Show answer and explanation

Answer: B. InSb (indium antimonide)

InSb is a compound semiconductor with very high electron mobility, tens of thousands of cm²/(V·s) at room temperature. Because the Hall output voltage relates to mobility, it is used for highly sensitive Hall elements, for example to detect motor rotation. Its small band gap also makes it useful for infrared detection.

  • A. SiC is used for high-voltage power devices, but its mobility is not high.
  • B. Correct. It has very high electron mobility.
  • C. AlN has a very wide band gap and relates to deep-UV emission and the like.
Practice this topic Back to topic

More Compound semiconductors questions

  1. What is the gate structure of the MESFET, long used as a high-frequency GaAs transistor?
  2. Which material, named for its crystal structure, has attracted intense research as a high-efficiency solar cell material that can be made by low-temperature processes such as coating?
  3. In LEDs with an InGaN emitting layer, how does the emission color change when the indium (In) fraction is increased?
  4. What material is used for the blue-violet semiconductor laser of about 405 nm that reads and writes Blu-ray discs?
  5. Which material, whose band gap can be tuned by composition, has been used for high-performance mid- to long-wave infrared detectors?