The first generation of semiconductor materials: silicon (Si), germanium (Ge) as the representative

In the history of the development of semiconductor materials, before 1990s, the first generation of semiconductor materials to silicon materials dominate the absolute dominant position. Currently, semiconductor devices and integrated circuits are still mainly made of silicon crystal materials, and silicon devices constitute more than 95 percent of all semiconductor products sold worldwide. The development of silicon semiconductor materials and their integrated circuits led to the emergence of microcomputers and the leap forward of the entire information industry.

The second generation of semiconductor materials: gallium arsenide (GaAs), indium phosphide (InP) as the representative

With the rise of information highway based on optical communication and the development of social informatization, the second generation semiconductor materials represented by GaAs and InP have emerged and shown their great superiority. Gallium arsenide and indium phosphide semiconductor lasers have become the key devices in optical communication systems, while gallium arsenide high-speed devices have also accelerated the development of new industries of optical fiber and mobile communication. The main application areas are optoelectronics, microelectronics, microwave power devices, etc.

The third-generation semiconductor materials: GaN and SiC as representatives

The third-generation semiconductor materials represented by GaN and SiC have excellent performance of high breakdown electric field, high thermal conductivity, high electron saturation rate, and strong radiation resistance, which are more suitable for making high temperature, high frequency, radiation resistance, and high power electronic devices. It has a broad application prospect in the fields of semiconductor lighting, new generation mobile communication, energy internet, high-speed rail transportation, new energy vehicles, consumer electronics, etc. It is expected to break the bottleneck of traditional semiconductor technology.

The fourth generation of semiconductor materials: gallium oxide (Ga2O3) as the representative

The fourth-generation semiconductor materials are ultra-wideband (UWBG) semiconductor materials represented by diamond (C), gallium oxide (GaO), aluminum nitride (AlN), with a bandwidth of more than 4eV, and ultra-narrow band (UNBG) semiconductor materials represented by antimonide (GaSb, InSb). In terms of applications, ultra-wideband materials will have overlap with third-generation materials, mainly in the field of power devices with more prominent characteristic advantages; while ultra-narrow forbidden band materials, due to easy excitation and high mobility, are mainly used for the detector, laser, and other device applications.