11.1 INTRODUCTION

InAs is a narrow bandgap semiconductor and is useful in very high speed electronic devices. It is also used as a substrate for infrared detectors and Hall devices and used assource material for multinary compound epitaxial growth.1

11.2 PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

The physical properties of InAs2 ^, 3 are summarized in Table 11.1. The melting point of InAs is 943 C, rather low compared with other III-V materials. The bandgap is as low as 0.356 eV and electron mobility is as high as 33,000 cm ²/V.sec so that it can be expected to be a good material for long wavelength photodetectors and high speed electronic devices. The phase diagram of InAs is as shown in Fig. 11.1.4 ^, 5 The decomposition pressure of InAs is as low as 0.33 atm. at the melting point.6 The thermoelectrical properties of InAs have been evaluated and found to be 210 310 ?V/K.7

Figure 11.1: Phase diagram of InAs (from Ref. 4 with permission).

11.3 CRYSTAL GROWTH