Space-grown SI-GaAs and its application

Abstract

A semi-insulating GaAs single crystal ingot was grown in a recoverable satellite, within a specially designed pyrolytic boron nitride crucible, in a power-travelling furnace under microgravity. The crystal was characterized systematically and was used in fabricating low noise field effect transistors and analogue switch integrated circuits by the direct ion-implantation technique. All key electrical properties of these transistors and integrated circuits have surpassed those made from conventional earth-grown gallium arsenide. This result shows that device-grade space-grown semiconducting single: crystal has surpassed the best terrestrial counterparts. Studies on the correlation between SI-GaAs wafers and the electronic devices and integrated circuits indicate that the characteristics of a compound semiconductor single crystal depends fundamentally on its stoichiometry.