Let us all take a moment and thank the microelectronic component in whatever device you may be using at this moment. Silicon is a metalloid which is the second-most abundant element on Earth, first being oxygen. In the universe, it is the seventh-most abundant element.

Today’s technologies use silicon as the default choice, especially in the areas of charging. Manufacturers like Samsung and OnePlus stretch the limits of silicon conductivity in this application. But one thing that is noticeable and probably worrying for some users is that your phone gets heated up quickly while on charge. Even laptop chargers like in the picture below tend to get heated. Those who have felt their charging adaptors would know that there is a fair bit of energy wasted.

Fortunately, Gallium Nitride, the new generation silicon alternative can sustain higher voltages, conduct electricity faster and more efficiently than silicon. According to a researcher at Harvard University, you can put more GaN chips in the same area that silicon would occupy, increasing its efficiency. So modern-day laptop chargers could be the same size as your phone chargers, whilst providing the necessary power for your device to charge, allowing it to be more portable.

Currently, a 45W charger costs nearly $50, because it hasn’t entered the competitive market yet. But theoretically, if silicon was replaced by GaN on a global scale, the worldwide power consumption could drop by 17%.
GaN can survive at higher temperatures and releases very little heat in comparison to silicon, drastically reducing the risk of batteries exploding.
Gallium Nitride has the potential to be the backbone of the technology industry.

One of the ways to minimize resistance (resistance is the opposition to the flow of current) is reducing its temperature as low as possible. Microsoft, for example, put most of their data centers underwater near Scotland’s Orkney Islands to keep the temperature low, reduce current leaks, and the voltage at which transistors switch. If Gallium Nitride was used, you’re looking at a hypothetical situation where you can run console-level games on something as small as a smartwatch or a monitor needed just to display the game, while the processing happens underwater.

It won’t be long till our everyday gadgets used Gallium Nitride so that wearables will have the power of a phone, phones will have the power of a laptop, and we all will have lower electricity bills.

-Roshan Samuel