Gallium
Gallium (Ga), element 31, is a strategic technology metal used mainly in GaN/GaAs semiconductors powering 5G, satellites, LEDs, and high‑frequency electronics.
Last reviewed: 2026-01-14
Industrial use is dominated by gallium-based compound semiconductors (GaAs, GaN, GaP) and certain photovoltaic materials (CIGS). Primary gallium supply is largely by‑product recovery from bauxite (alumina) processing and, to a lesser extent, zinc processing residues.
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▸Executive Brief
1 min read
Executive Brief
- ▪Industrial use is dominated by gallium-based compound semiconductors (GaAs, GaN, GaP) and certain photovoltaic materials (CIGS).
- ▪Primary gallium supply is largely by‑product recovery from bauxite (alumina) processing and, to a lesser extent, zinc processing residues.
- ▪USGS reports (U.S., 2024e) that integrated circuits represent 79% of domestic gallium use, optoelectronic devices 20%, and R&D 1%.
- ▪USGS reports (U.S., 2024e) ~19,000 kg consumption and 100% net import reliance (per USGS definition).
- ▪USGS indicates extremely high concentration in low‑purity primary production (China ~99%).
- ▪USGS estimates high‑purity refined gallium production at ~320,000 kg in 2024, with ~340,000 kg/year capacity.
- ▪The EU classifies gallium as a Critical Raw Material (2023 list).
- ▪DOE notes Ga’s role in CIGS bandgap tuning: partial substitution of Ga for In can increase bandgap from ~1.04 eV (CIS) to ~1.68 eV (CGS).
- ▪By‑product supply plus geographic concentration mechanically increases exposure to supply shocks and policy risk; supply responds to alumina/zinc dynamics as much as to gallium demand.
- ▪Higher purity requirements and specialized forms (refined metal, organometallic precursors, wafers) shift risk downstream into refining capacity and qualification cycles, not only upstream extraction.
- ▪EU CRM/CRMA framing increases the probability of industrial policy and reporting changes affecting gallium-linked value chains.
▸What is Gallium (Ga)?
2 min read
What is Gallium (Ga)?
Gallium (Ga) is the chemical element with atomic number 31. The Ga element name is Gallium.
In modern industry, gallium matters less as a bulk metal than as an input into compound semiconductors—especially gallium nitride (GaN) and gallium arsenide (GaAs)—used in high‑frequency, high‑efficiency electronics (telecom, satellites, advanced optoelectronics).
Gallium supply is structurally constrained because most primary gallium is recovered as a by‑product of other value chains (bauxite/alumina and, to a lesser extent, zinc). That means availability depends on host‑metal production and specialized refining capacity, not only on gallium demand.
Search note: there is no element with symbol “G”. If you searched “what element is G”, the relevant semiconductor metal is Gallium—its symbol is “Ga”.
Selected Properties
The History of Gallium (Ga): The Conquest of the Predicted Element
The history of Gallium is a scientific fable, that of the phantom element that gave its credentials to modern chemistry.
It all begins in 1871 with the visionary Russian Dimitri Mendeleev. By organizing the known elements, he left an empty space on his famous periodic table. With stunning audacity, he did not simply signal this absence; he created a profile of the unknown element, which he provisionally called 'Eka-Aluminum', predicting its mass, density, and even its low melting point.
Four years later, like a scientific detective, the Frenchman Paul-Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran triumphed over the enigma. By examining the light spectrum of a zinc ore from the Pyrenees, he noticed new spectral lines, revealing the presence of the missing element. He isolated it and gave it the name Gallium, in homage to his homeland, Gallia (Gaul).
Mendeleev was immediately notified and the perfect concordance between his prediction and Lecoq's discovery was a resounding victory for science. Gallium, this silvery metal that has the almost magical property of melting in the warmth of the hand, has gone from the status of chemical curiosity to that of silent pillar of our era. Today, it no longer just heats thermometers, but powers our phones, our 5G networks and satellites, proving that the greatest advances are sometimes written in the logic of the universe, simply waiting to be discovered.
▸Where Gallium is Used
2 min read
Where Gallium is Used
- ▪GaN RF power devices for base stations and high‑frequency front‑ends.
- ▪GaAs components in RF chains where performance and noise figure matter.
- ▪High‑frequency electronics for satellite communications payloads and ground infrastructure.
- ▪GaAs‑based solar technologies (use varies by design and mission profile).
- ▪GaN is foundational for LED lighting and many display backlight architectures.
- ▪Optoelectronic devices where efficiency and wavelength control drive material choice.
- ▪Gallium can be used to tune the bandgap of CIGS absorbers (partly substituting for indium in the absorber mix).
- ▪Optoelectronics and specialized detectors used across imaging workflows (use is application‑specific).
▸Gallium Supply Chain
3 min read
Gallium Supply Chain
- ▪Recovered mainly from bauxite/alumina processing and, in smaller part, from zinc processing residues.
- ▪Primary production is therefore linked to host‑metal output and processing routes.
- ▪Initial recovery produces lower‑purity gallium that must be refined for semiconductor use.
- ▪Recoverability is structurally limited (by‑product economics and processing constraints).
- ▪Semiconductor and optoelectronic applications require higher‑purity gallium and controlled impurity profiles.
- ▪This stage can become a bottleneck when demand shifts toward higher grades.
- ▪High‑purity gallium metal; chemical precursors (for epitaxy); wafers and compound semiconductor materials.
- ▪Manufacturing generates “new scrap” that can be recycled back into high‑purity streams.
- ▪By‑product supply: output is constrained by alumina/zinc market dynamics, not solely by gallium demand.
- ▪High geographic concentration in primary production increases exposure to policy, logistics, and licensing shocks.
- ▪High‑purity and qualification requirements shift risk to downstream refining and process validation.
- ▪Primary (low‑purity): recovered mainly as a by‑product from bauxite (alumina) processing and, to a lesser extent, zinc residues; often referenced around ~99.99% purity for low‑purity primary in USGS reporting context.
- ▪Secondary (recycled): recovery from manufacturing “new scrap” (e.g., GaAs device production) and re‑refining back into high‑purity gallium streams; USGS notes substantial new‑scrap recovery and limited old‑scrap in certain contexts.
- ▪Industry grades are often described by “N” purity notation: 4N (~99.99%), 5N (~99.999%), 7N (~99.99999%).
- ▪USGS distinguishes high‑purity references (e.g., 99.999% and 99.99999%) vs lower‑purity references (e.g., 99.99%), reflecting market separation between semiconductor‑linked demand and broader metal flows.
- ▪Higher purity and tighter impurity control are pulled by wafers and epitaxy supply chains (GaAs/GaN/GaP) and organometallic precursors used in deposition processes.
- ▪In many performance‑critical nodes, changing material grade, supplier, or process route can require qualification and re‑qualification, shifting risk to downstream availability and lead times.
- ▪USGS notes limited effective substitutes for GaAs/GaN in several applications; where alternatives exist (e.g., Si/SiC in some power roles), they often trade performance, efficiency, or system design constraints.
▸Key Policy Events
2 min read
Key Policy Events
Factual timeline of regulatory and policy developments
The European Commission includes gallium in the 2023 Critical Raw Materials list, signaling strategic supply risk and policy attention.
USGS notes China export control measures starting in 2023, reinforcing sensitivity of supply to licensing and policy shifts.
USGS indicates that exports of gallium to the United States were restricted in late 2024, reinforcing that availability can be shaped by policy and licensing conditions.
EU CRMA establishes a strategic framework to address critical material supply risks (implementation details vary by downstream acts).
▸Reference Data
Deep dive
Reference Data
Full indicator tables, methodology notes, and sources
▸What is the gallium element (Ga)?
▸What is the Ga element name?
▸What element is G?
▸What is gallium used for?
▸Why is gallium supply constrained?
▸Is gallium a rare earth element?
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