A solar cell’s ability to convert sunlight to electric current is limited by the band gaps of the semiconductors from which it is made. For example, semiconductors with wide band gaps respond to ...

Image Credit: Zero-gap materials for future spintronics, electronics, and optics, X. Wang., et al. University of Wollongong (2010) . Bandgap energy. Semiconductors are materials that have physical ...

Poly(3-hex- ylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT), for example, has a band gap of around 2.1 eV, can easily be produced in large quantities, and could be perfect for operation in shallow waters. Materials such ...

Doping in organic semiconductors is achieved by removing a small fraction of electrons from the valence band. Holes, the absence of electrons, can then flow and conduct electricity.

Definition: Band Gap Engineering is a process used in semiconductor material science to tailor the energy gap between the valence and conduction bands.This manipulation affects how electrons and holes ...

Expertise from Forbes Councils members, operated under license. Opinions expressed are those of the author. As renewable energy becomes a larger part of the global energy mix, semiconductors are ...

Although the researchers believe that the valence band can be empty in other materials, this effect is most visible in polymers. “We think that the way the energy bands are arranged in our polymer, as ...

A condition long considered to be unfavorable to electrical conduction in semiconductor materials may actually be beneficial ...

Doping in organic semiconductors is achieved by removing a small fraction of electrons from the valence band. Holes, the absence of electrons, can then flow and conduct electricity.

image: Emptying of valence and deeper-valence bands through doping. view more . Credit: Sirringhaus Lab. Cavendish physicists have discovered two new ways to improve organic semiconductors.