Welcome to Galaxy Compound Semiconductors, Inc.

Galaxy Compound Semiconductors, Inc., a member of the IQE plc Group of companies, specializes in manufacturing the highest quality Indium Antimonide (InSb) and Gallium Antimonide (GaSb) single crystal substrates.

World class materials manufacture from the USA

Based in Spokane, WA USA, Galaxy is the world's leading supplier of GaSb and InSb materials. Beginning with the highest purity starting elements available, we grow our antimonide crystals by the Czochralski boule pulling method. Using advanced equipment and ISO 9001:2015 certified processes, we assure our customers of a continuous and highest grade supply of these critical antimonide based substrates. Our GaSb and InSb wafers provide the most advanced solutions for today's stealth, space, transportation, biomedical, and other key military and commercial infrared (IR) markets.

Advanced infrared material solutions

Galaxy's substrates are acclaimed for their outstanding mobility, wafer flatness, and lack of crystalline defects. We offer up to 100mm (4-inch) diameter GaSb wafers and 125mm (5-inch) diameter InSb, with 150mm InSb substrates in final development. We also offer Ultra-low doped (ULD) n-type GaSb for extended IR wavelength capability.

Our History

Galaxy's history can be traced tangentially to Percival Johnson who formed a London gold assaying company in 1817. George Matthey joined the company in 1851 to form Johnson & Matthey, largely a gold and platinum assayer company. Over 130 years later, in 1989, Johnson & Matthey purchased Cominco Electronics in order to enter into the growing semiconductor material business and began to fabricate Czochralski grown InSb and GaSb boules. Allied Signal acquired the Johnson & Matthey Electronics Division in 1996. Just prior to a pending merger with Honeywell in 1999. Galaxy Compound Semiconductors was a spin off from this company with an expertise in the fabrication of antimonide based Czochralski boules. Starting with 3 employees in 1999, Galaxy has grown to 20 employees in 2011. In October of 2010, Galaxy Compound Semiconductors, Inc. was purchased by IQE plc (www.iqep.com), coming full circle back to a UK based company. The merger provides significant advantages which include captive wafer supply to epitaxial wafer foundry operations within the IQE Group, an added customer base and access to state of the art materials characterization techniques and expertise. All Galaxy manufacturing processes remain in Spokane, WA USA.