Abstract

This paper describes the development status of the devices based on compound semiconductors especially on gallium arsenide (GaAs) in Japan. In the area of the devices for handy phone, and PCS/PCN application, GaAs MESFETs, HEMTs and HBTs have been actively investigated to have low voltage operation and low power consumption. The market has started to expand and we can see many serious and practical studies in this area. In millimeterwave InP lattice matched HEMTs and GaAs pseudomorphic HEMTs have been developed as active devices for collision avoidance radar, wireless LAN, remote POS system and etc. For high rate optical communication systems, still GaAs MESFET ICs have been developed because the technology is matured today, though HBT ICs are studied for many functions. In the field of data processing, GaAs LSIs have established its position for the highest speed logic in a computer system.