valence band
Britishnoun
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012-
The outermost electron shell of atoms in an insulator or semiconductor, in which the electrons are too tightly bound to the atom to carry electric current.
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Compare conduction band See also bandgap
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
An excited electron also leaves a hole in the underlying valence band -- a mobile vacancy that can be moved through the material like a positive charge carrier.
From Science Daily
The electrons then fall back into the valence band and become worthless in terms of electricity generation.
From Science Daily
In a solar cell, electrons are dislodged by photons and raised to a higher energy level from the valence band to the conduction band.
From Science Daily
The team used a laser to create a cloud of excitons at a corner of the pyramid's base, bouncing electrons out of the valence band of a semiconductor into the conduction band -- but the negatively charged electrons are still attracted to the positively charged holes left behind in the valence band.
From Science Daily
The electron moves to the valence band and merges with the hole, releasing a photon. b, However, a process called non-radiative Auger recombination can instead occur.
From Nature
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