Heterojunction bipolar transistors (HJBT) on the basis of GaN/SiC heterostructures have several advantages over group III nitride heterostructures grown on sapphire. For example 6H–SiC has less of a thermal and structural mismatch to GaN than sapphire has. Furthermore there is not the problem of optical recombination in a highly doped base region as there is for the group III nitrides on account of their direct bandgap.