Compound semiconductors are critical to the operation of many electronic and optoelectronic systems including mobile telephony systems, satellite communications and power systems, automotive applications, and more. Because of its unique properties, compound semiconductors have emerged as key enabling materials in facilitating the dramatic advancements and improvements in these industries.

Unlike silicon, which is a single element semiconductor and, therefore, has a fixed set of inherent electronic characteristics, compound semiconductors are made from a mixture of elements from the group III and V columns of the periodic table, including Gallium Arsenide, Indium Phosphide, Aluminum Gallium Arsenide and others.

By combining elements from the III and V colums, engineers can make materials with a diverse range of optoelectronic and electronic properties.

In particular, compound semiconductors are extremely efficient at generating light from electricity and converting light back into electricity, compared with existing alternatives. Because of this, they have been key materials enabling the operation of semiconductor lasers, LEDs and detectors, which are at the heart of almost all optoelectronic systems, such as fiber-optic communication systems, optical storage systems, display technology and satellite power systems.

In the electronic domain, the range of electronic properties created by compound semiconductors includes the ability of electrons to travel more quickly in these materials than in silicon, by a factor of up to ten, enabling the operationg of much higher frequency, lower noise and more power-efficient electronic systems. This has enable significant improvements in the mobile telephony, satellite communication and wireless communication industries to take place, contributing to the ongoing communications revolution.