Was GaN always seen as suitable for LEDs?
No, for a long time, gallium nitride was considered a material that was exceedingly difficult to work with, and many in the scientific community were skeptical about its potential for practical applications, especially for light emission. The primary hurdle was the lack of high-quality crystals. Growing GaN with the necessary purity and crystal structure presented significant technical challenges. It was often dismissed as a material that would not yield efficient devices. However, I believed in its fundamental properties and the possibility of overcoming these obstacles through dedicated, systematic research. The journey required immense patience and a willingness to push beyond prevailing doubts.
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