Summary
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8.1 The emission and absorption of light by semiconductors gives rise to useful optoelectronic devices. Emission typically occurs in direct band gap materials. Indirect semiconductors are less optically efficient because they require the involvement of both photons (which carry energy, but little momentum) and phonons (which carry momentum, but little energy).
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8.2 In some optoelectronic devices, electron–hole pairs (EHPs) are generated by the absorption of light. These carriers can be collected as electrical energy in solar cells or photodetectors. Generated EHPs add to the thermally generated reverse current in diodes (Eq. 8–2 ), from which one can obtain the open-circuit voltage or short-circuit current in solar cells, a potential ...
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