Glossary comparison
Compound semiconductor vs Wide bandgap: what is the difference?
The difference
Silicon carbide and gallium nitride are both compound and wide-bandgap, but many compounds are not: gallium arsenide and indium phosphide have gaps close to silicon's.
Compound semiconductors are made of two or more elements. Some are wide bandgap, such as GaN and SiC, but others, such as gallium arsenide, are not.
The two terms
Compound semiconductor
A semiconductor formed from two or more elements, such as gallium arsenide, gallium nitride, indium phosphide or silicon carbide, rather than one element alone.
Wide bandgap
A class of semiconductors with bandgaps well above silicon's, chiefly silicon carbide and gallium nitride. The wider gap supports higher voltage, junction temperature and switching frequency, which is why these materials dominate new power electronics designs.
Side by side
| Field | Compound semiconductor | Wide bandgap |
|---|---|---|
| Stands for | Not an abbreviation | Not an abbreviation |
| Type | Material | Term |
| Domain | General Industry | General Industry |
| Group | Device physics | Device physics |