ENERGY BAND GAP

Made By : ABHAY DHURIYA

SEC/Roll no : Y042
AIM : To determine the energy band gap of a semiconductor
 Apparatus : P-N Junction Diode, Water Bath, DC Supply , Thermometer,
Microammeter(0-500uA)

Formula: Is = Ie-Eg/kT
Eg = 1000.m.k

where , Eg is the energy band gap , m is the slope

k is the Boltzmann constant (8.675 X 10-5 eV)

 THEORY:
• A semiconductor is characterized by two energy bands –
conduction band and valence band separated by a smaller
energy gap. At normal temperatures, a significant number of
electrons are thermally excited from valence band to
conduction band. An equal number of vacancies are produced
in the valence band. These vacancies are treated as particles
having a mass equal to that of electron and carry positive
charge. They are called holes. Both electrons and holes
participate in conduction in semiconductor and they lie in two
different bands separated by a forbidden gap.
• A semi-conductor (either doped or intrinsic) always possesses an
energy gap between its valence and conduction bands (fig.1). For the
conduction of electricity, a certain amount of energy is to be given to
the electron so that it can jump from the valence band to the
conduction band. The energy so needed is the measure of the energy
gap (Eg) between the top and bottom of valence and conduction
bands respectively. In case of insulators, the value of Eg varies from 3
to 7 eV. However, for semiconductors, it is quite small. For example, in
case of germanium, Eg = 0.72 eV and in case of silicon, Eg = 1.1 eV. To
determine the energy band gap of a semi-conducting material, we
study the variation of its conductance with temperature. When PN
junction is placed in reverse bias ,the current flows through the
junction due to minority charge carriers only. The concentration of
these charge carriers depend on band gap Eg.
OBSERVATION TABLE , CALCULATION, GRAPH
RESULT:
• The value of Eg= 600.31 meV

• PRECAUTIONS:

1.The bulb of the thermometer should be in contact with diode.

2.The readings of the Voltmeter and milliammeter are to be taken with the heater off
so that the temperature near the diode is in steady state.