Direct and Indirect Band Gap Semiconductors
On the basis of energy gap semiconductors can be divided into:
- Direct Band Gap Semiconductors
- Indirect Band Gap Semiconductors.
Direct Band Gap
As we can see from above image the bandgap is said to be direct if the top of valence band and the bottom of the conduction band are at same momentum. This means that the energy difference between the conduction band and the valence band is released in the form of a photon without any change in momentum.
As a result, direct bandgap semiconductors efficiently emit or absorb light (photons) during electronic transitions. The efficient emission of light makes direct bandgap semiconductors ideal for optoelectronic applications, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and laser diodes.
Examples: Gallium arsenide (GaAs), Indium phosphide (InP), Gallium nitride (GaN) etc.
Indirect Bandgap
In Indirect Bandgap semiconductors the top of valence band and the bottom of conduction band don’t have same momentum. As a result, the energy difference between the conduction band and the valence band cannot be directly converted into a photon. Some change in the momentum and value of k is needed to convert the energy gap into photon.
Examples: Silicon (Si), Germanium (Ge) etc.
Semiconductors
A Semiconductor is a kind of material that performs conductivity between conductors and insulators and has a conductivity value that lies between the conductor and an insulator.
In this article, we will be going through semiconductors, first, we will start our article with the introduction of the semiconductor, then we will go through holes and electrons with band gap theory, and after that we will go through properties and types of semiconductors, At last, we will conclude our article with solved examples, applications and advantages with some FAQs.
Table of Content
- Holes and Electrons
- Direct and Indirect Band Gap Semiconductors
- Properties of Semiconductor
- Types of Semiconductor
- Intrinsic Vs Extrinsic Semiconductors
- Applications of Semiconductor
- Advantages of Semiconductor
- Disadvantages of Semiconductor
- Examples of Semiconductor