Scientists have discovered a potentially promising infrared LED and infrared detector component. This compound — composed of calcium, silicon and oxygen — is cheap to produce and non-toxic. Many of the existing infrared semiconductors contain toxic chemical elements, such as cadmium and tellurium. The new material may be used to develop less expensive and safer near-infrared semiconductors.
Click here for original story, Discovery of non-toxic semiconductors with a direct band gap in the near-infrared
Source: ScienceDaily