A semiconductor material has an electrical conductivity value between that of a conductor, such as copper, and an insulator, such as glass. Semiconductors for photonics devices are normally composed of a combination of elements from groups III and V of the periodic table (hence the term lll-V materials) such as indium phosphide (InP).
Compared with other semiconductors, InP has superior electron velocity and a direct bandgap, making it useful for the manufacture of optoelectronics devices like laser diodes and photonic integrated circuits (PICs). Main InP semiconductor application areas:
- Telecom/Datacom: lasers, photodetectors, and modulators for high speed data transmission, and 5G wireless communications beyond 400 GHz.
- Optical sensing for environmental protection and non-invasive diagnostics.
- LiDAR systems and 3D imaging for the automotive sector and industry 4.0.
- Imaging and scanning systems for civil security applications and quality control in automotive and aerospace.