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Optical Properties of Semiconductors

  • Semiconductors can absorb over a wide range of energies, giving a broad absorption spectrum, as shown on the left.

  • Relaxation of the excited electrons to the bottom of the conduction band occurs through vibrational processes.

  • The relaxation of the electron across the band gap results in a narrow emission band of band gap energy.

  • The band gap energy reflects the semiconductor's chemical composition.