Substitutes

Substitutes and Alternatives for Arsenic

The availability of viable substitutes is a key factor in assessing Arsenic's criticality. Across its 3 primary applications, substitution options range from commercially viable alternatives with performance trade-offs to applications where Arsenic currently has no effective substitute.

Substitution Analysis by Application

The following table details available substitutes for Arsenic across its primary applications, including the trade-offs involved:

Performance Trade-offs

In most applications, substituting Arsenic involves measurable performance penalties. GaN is replacing GaAs in some RF applications but GaAs remains superior for certain frequency ranges and solar cells. In high-performance applications such as semiconductors (gallium arsenide), these trade-offs can be particularly significant.

Research and Development

Active research programs are underway to develop improved substitutes and to reduce the amount of Arsenic required per unit of product (thrifting). However, timelines for commercializing new alternatives typically span years to decades.