Trimethylgallium
Trimethylgallium, often abbreviated to TMG or TMGa, is the organogallium compound with the formula Ga3. It is a colorless, pyrophoric liquid. Unlike aluminium trichloride, but akin to trimethylindium, TMG is monomeric.Preparation
TMG is prepared by the reaction of gallium trichloride with methyl lithium.
Trimethylgallium may also be prepared by the reaction of dimethylzinc with gallium trichloride. The less volatile diethyl ether adduct can be prepared by using methylmagnesium iodide in ether in place of dimethylzinc; the ether ligands may be displaced with liquid ammonia as well.Applications
TMG is the preferred metalorganic source of gallium for metalorganic vapour phase epitaxy of gallium-containing compound semiconductors, such as GaAs, GaN, GaP, GaSb, InGaAs, InGaN, AlGaInP, InGaP and AlInGaNP.
These material are used in the production of LED lighting and semiconductors as a metalorganic chemical vapor deposition precursor.
