5. Gallium applications

Gallium is used in the form of arsenide (GaAs) and phosphide (GaP) as substrates in digital integrated circuits. Electron transfer is 3 times faster than with silicon-based semiconductors. What's more, gallium semiconductors are radiation-resistant and can be used to convert electrical signals into optical signals.

Gallium arsenide (GaAs) is capable of converting electricity directly into coherent light using laser diodes. GaAs is beginning to be used in photovoltaic cells and photodetectors.

• In optoelectronics, gallium nitride (GaN) is used as a thin film in the manufacture of light-emitting diodes, which emit white light. These diodes consume only 10% of the energy of tungsten...