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Gallium plays a central role in modern LED technology, particularly in the generation of blue and green light.
Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are based on semiconductor materials whose electrical properties are specifically adjusted. An LED consists of two differently doped layers: an n-type layer with an excess of freely movable electrons and a p-type layer with a shortage of electrons. Between the two is a thin active zone in which the actual light is generated. When an electric current flows through the diode, electrons move from the n-layer to the p-layer. During the transition, they emit energy in the form of light - a process known as electroluminescence.
The development of gallium-based semiconductor materials represented a decisive technological breakthrough. Japanese researchers Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura took the decisive step in the early 1990s: they developed the first efficient blue LED based on gallium nitride (GaN) - an achievement for which they were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2014.
Only with blue light was it possible to produce white LED light in two different ways. In today's dominant method, a blue LED excites a phosphor phosphor, which converts the light into a broad white spectrum. Alternatively, red, green and blue LEDs can be combined to create the RGB principle. Both approaches would not have been possible without the blue GaN LED - and have formed the basis of modern lighting systems since the mid-1990s.
In photovoltaics, gallium is an important component, particularly in certain high-performance solar cells - usually in combination with other elements. Typical examples are semiconductor materials such as gallium arsenide (GaAs) or copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS). These materials have very good optoelectronic properties and are particularly efficient at converting sunlight into electrical energy.
Solar cells based on gallium compounds often achieve higher efficiencies than traditional silicon modules. Gallium arsenide, for example, is used in space travel or in concentrating photovoltaic systems, in which lenses or mirrors focus the sunlight onto very small, particularly efficient solar cells. CIGS solar cells are among the thin-film technologies that require less material and can be produced on flexible substrates. Gallium thus enables lightweight and flexible solar modules for special applications such as building-integrated photovoltaics, even though these technologies have so far been more expensive than conventional silicon cells.
Gallium also plays a role in traditional silicon photovoltaics, which clearly dominates the market - albeit more in the background. There, it is mainly used as a dopant to improve stability and service life.
Gallium plays a central role in the semiconductor industry as it forms the basis for important compound semiconductors such as gallium arsenide and gallium nitride. These materials enable the precise control of electrical currents in components such as transistors, diodes and integrated circuits. Due to their high electron mobility and their ability to tolerate high voltages and temperatures, gallium-based semiconductors are particularly suitable for high-frequency, high-power and high-speed applications.
Gallium-based chips are used primarily in high-frequency electronics, for example in power amplifiers for smartphones, satellite communication, radar and 5G systems. Gallium nitride is also increasingly being used in power electronics, for example in efficient power supplies, fast chargers and modern data centers. These materials enable the production of compact, energy-efficient and powerful semiconductor components that play a key role in communication systems, consumer electronics, data centers and military applications.