Direct and indirect band

2.2.1 Direct and indirect band structures Silicon is by far the most widely used semiconductor with
an energy gap of 1.12 eV at room temperature. It has an indirect band structure since its valence
band maximum (VBM) and conduction band minimum (CBM) are located at different symmetry
points in the Brillouin zone. On the other hand, for a direct bandgap semiconductor (e.g. GaAs), the
VBM and CBM stay at the same symmetry point of the Brillouin zone. Due to these differences, the
two band structures differ in electron excitation recombination properties (see Fig. 2.5). In the case
of a direct bandgap semiconductor, a photon with similar energy to the bandgap can be absorbed by
the system directly, while exciting a valence band electron to the conduction band. The reverse
process is also apt to happen. A photon is emitted when an electron in the conduction band falls
back and recombines with a hole in the valence band. On the other hand, for electron excitation of
indirect bandgap materials, simultaneous absorption of a photon and a phonon (i.e. field quantum of
lattice vibration) is required for excitation. It lowers the efficiency of light absorption, and
consequently the recombination process is deferred greatly in comparison to the case of direct gap
materials.

Figure 2.5 Direct and indirect band structures and the related excitation-recombination processes.

Due to the aforementioned characteristics of band structures, semiconductors with a direct bandgap
are featured in applications such as light emitting diodes (LEDs) and laser diodes. Applications of
indirect bandgap materials are limited by the temperature dependency in the excitation process.
Silicon, however, is an exception and establishes the current realm of field-effect transistors (FET)
thanks to its moderate bandgap, native oxide layer, and abundance on earth. Also, a large
recombination lifetime between electrons and holes makes Si the most popular materials for
photovoltaic devices despite its relatively poor light absorption ability.