Narrow gap semiconductor
Encyclopedia
Narrow gap semiconductors are semiconducting materials with a band gap
that is comparatively small compared to silicon
. They are used as infrared detector
s or thermoelectrics.
(incomplete)
Band gap
In solid state physics, a band gap, also called an energy gap or bandgap, is an energy range in a solid where no electron states can exist. In graphs of the electronic band structure of solids, the band gap generally refers to the energy difference between the top of the valence band and the...
that is comparatively small compared to silicon
Silicon
Silicon is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. A tetravalent metalloid, it is less reactive than its chemical analog carbon, the nonmetal directly above it in the periodic table, but more reactive than germanium, the metalloid directly below it in the table...
. They are used as infrared detector
Infrared detector
An infrared detector is a photodetector that reacts to infrared radiation. The two main types of detectors are thermal and photonic.The thermal effects of the incident IR radiation can be followed through many temperature dependent phenomena....
s or thermoelectrics.
List of Narrow gap semiconductors
- HgCdTe
- PbSeLead(II) selenideLead selenide , or lead selenide, a selenide of lead, is a semiconductor material. It forms cubic crystals of the NaCl structure; it has a direct bandgap of 0.27 eV at room temperature...
- PbSLead sulfideLead sulfide is an ionic compound of lead and sulfur, having two possible proportions:*Lead sulfide, the ionic compound containing lead in the +2 oxidation state*Lead sulfide, the ionic compound containing lead in the +4 oxidation state...
- PbTe
- InAs
- InSb
- Cd3As2Cadmium arsenideCadmium arsenide is a crystalline semiconductor with a tetragonal structure in the II-V family. It is a narrow gap semiconductor with an energy gap of 0.14 eV. The electron mobility is very large at ambient temperature...
- Bi2Te3Bismuth tellurideBismuth telluride is a gray powder that is a compound of bismuth and tellurium also known as bismuth telluride. It is a semiconductor which, when alloyed with antimony or selenium is an efficient thermoelectric material for refrigeration or portable power generation...
- alpha-Sn
(incomplete)