Aluminium indium arsenide

Aluminium indium arsenide, also indium aluminium arsenide or AlInAs (Al_xIn_1-xAs), is a semiconductor material with very nearly the same lattice constant as GaInAs, but a larger bandgap. The x in the formula above is a number between 0 and 1 - this indicates an arbitrary alloy between InAs and AlAs.

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The formula AlInAs should be considered an abbreviated form of the above, rather than any particular ratio.

Aluminium indium arsenide is used eg. as a buffer layer in metamorphic HEMT transistors, where it serves to adjust the lattice constant differences between the GaAs substrate and the GaInAs channel. It can be also used to form alternate layers with indium gallium arsenide, which act as quantum wells; these strcuctures are used in eg. broadband quantum cascade lasers.

Safety and toxicity aspects

The toxicology of AlInAs has not been fully investigated. The dust is an irritant to skin, eyes and lungs. The environment, health and safety aspects of aluminum indium arsenide sources (such as trimethylindium and arsine) and industrial hygiene monitoring studies of standard MOVPE sources have been reported recently in a review ^[1].

References

1. ^ Environment, health and safety issues for sources used in MOVPE growth of compound semiconductors; D V Shenai-Khatkhate, R Goyette, R L DiCarlo and G Dripps, Journal of Crystal Growth, vol. 1-4, pp. 816-821 (2004); doi:doi:10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2004.09.007