bandgap

American  

[band-gap] / ˈbændˌgæp /

noun

plural

bandgaps

1. Physics. the energy difference between the valence band and the conduction band in a solid, representing the range of energies that electrons cannot occupy and therefore cannot use to conduct electricity. The bandgap is greatest in insulators, smaller in semiconductors, and nonexistent in metals.

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bandgap Scientific  

/ bănd′găp′ /

1. The difference in energy in a substance between electron orbitals in which the electrons are not free to move (the valence band) and orbitals in which they are relatively free and will carry a current (the conduction band). In semiconductors, some electrons are sustained in the conduction band by thermal energy. Energy released when an electron in the conduction band falls into a hole in the valence band is called bandgap radiation.

2. See also hole semiconductor laser

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Other Word Forms

• sub-bandgap adjective

Example Sentences

They discovered how this scattering shifts the optical bandgap to the red end of the light spectrum for heavier isotopes.

From Science Daily • May 3, 2024

In this case, the researchers found that the optical bandgap of the material increased with the concentration of ordered defects in the lattice.

From Science Daily • Apr. 17, 2024

Both materials have semiconducting properties like silicon, but unlike silicon, they can also withstand high temperatures and radiation because of their wide electronic bandgap and high atomic binding energy.

From Scientific American • Oct. 23, 2023

Silicon carbide differs from silicon in that it has a wide bandgap, meaning that it requires more energy to switch between the two states.

From New York Times • May 16, 2022

Blue light comprises high-energy photons; gallium nitride, with its wide bandgap, was the first semiconductor that could practically produce photons with the sufficient energy.

From New York Times • May 16, 2022