IQE has been involved in the development of dilute nitride materials for nearly twenty years. Dilute nitrides are a class of materials created by adding small amounts of nitrogen to standard GaAs-based materials.
This extends the range of accessible wavelengths to >1500 nm, thereby allowing GaAs-based devices to be used for applications historically reserved for InP. A key advantage of these alloys is that they can be integrated easily with extant electronic and photonic GaAs-based processes. IQE’s dilute nitride technology is available for wafer sizes up to 150 mm in diameter.
IQE first exploited this technology in the early 2000’s with its patented GaAs-based, reduced bandgap HBT for RF applications. Still available today, this product provides IQE’s customers a route to improved Power Added Efficiency (PAE).
Dilute Nitrides for HBTs: Improving Handset PA Performance
For the photonics market, IQE has already demonstrated state of the art photodetectors, VCSELs, and edge emitting lasers using dilute nitrides, which cover the visible and near infrared wavelength regions. These materials are finding new markets in advanced sensing applications for mobile communications and next generation LiDAR.
Dilute Nitrides for VCSELs: Long wavelength on 150mm GaAs
