APA Optics makes Schottky ultraviolet detectors from gallium nitride

APA Optics (Blaine, MN) is pushing gallium nitride (GaN) into the mainstream with a new series of GaN products and services that the company believes hold major potential for optoelectronics and microelectronics. The first products in this new effort, Schottky ultraviolet (UV) detectors manufactured at the company's optoelectronics center in Aberdeen, SD, operate more effectively in visible light than their silicon counterparts, according to Anil K. Jain, APA Optics president and CEO. The major limitation of silicon UV detectors lies in their higher responsiveness to unwanted visible light.