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Somali_Physicist
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Hello guys , I will make this brief.Does anyone know why Semi Conductors are more sensitive to light than other materials? For example Semi Conductors are used in Photovoltaic cells.
Thankyou dude , do you have any links for the "conduction bands" and the process of doping to alter a semiconductors properties to increase sensitivity.Also if I'm grasping this generally , semiconductors are able to be doped in a specific way that insulators along with conductors lack.Thus this allows specific photons to be absorbed more readily which displace a photo electric current?hbarover2 said:A solid state issue. Photons entering the doped semiconductor junction have sufficient energy to promote charge into the conduction band.
With pin diodes the doping can be tailored to make the semiconductor sensitive in specific bands from the near IR into the UV.
Can't do that in insulators. Conductors like cesium make good photo-injectors but that is a surface work function issue.
Are you interested in organic photovoltaics? I wonder how that research is going? Promising technology there. Wouldn't it be cool if some clever gent or lady could design and market an inexpensive roof shingle with a flexible integrated organic photovoltaic, which interconnect in some simple way like LEGO, and still keeps the weather out.
Every house in America goes green. Entrepreneurial windfall $$$$
A semiconductor's sensitivity to light refers to its ability to convert light energy into electrical energy. This is due to the unique properties of semiconductors, which allow them to absorb photons and release electrons, resulting in a flow of electricity.
When light hits a semiconductor material, it excites the electrons within the material, causing them to jump to a higher energy level. This creates a potential difference, which can be harnessed as electricity. The sensitivity of a semiconductor to light depends on the band gap energy of the material, as well as other factors such as impurities and temperature.
Semiconductors can be sensitive to a wide range of light, including visible light, infrared light, and ultraviolet light. The sensitivity of a semiconductor to different wavelengths of light depends on the band gap energy of the material, with larger band gaps being more sensitive to higher energy light.
The sensitivity of semiconductors to light has many practical applications, including solar cells, photodetectors, and optical sensors. They are also used in electronic devices such as cameras, LEDs, and laser diodes.
The sensitivity of a semiconductor to light can be improved by using materials with smaller band gap energies, increasing the surface area of the semiconductor, and reducing impurities and defects within the material. In addition, advancements in technology and manufacturing processes continue to improve the sensitivity of semiconductors to light.