Exploring Band Structures: Insulators, Semiconductors, and Metals
Creators: name: DEHIGASPITIYAGE DON, SAJANA YASAS
name: DISANAYAKA, ISURU SAMPATH
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Band Structure
Insulators
Semiconductors
Electronic Properties
Crystal Structure
Brillouin Zone
Density of States
Material physics
Physics

description: Title: Exploring Band Structures: Insulators, Semiconductors, and Metals

Authors: Sajana Yasas & I S Dissanayaka

Affiliation: Alma Mater, Studiorum-University of Bologna

Abstract: This poster presents a comprehensive overview of the band structures in three distinct types of materials: NaCl (an ionic crystal), Si (a semiconductor), and Cu (a metal). It explores their respective energy bands, the first Brillouin zone, and high symmetry points, offering an introductory analysis of the Fermi surface in a metal. This poster aims to clarify the fundamental electronic properties of these materials through their band structures.

Introduction: The poster begins with an introduction to band structures, explaining how they represent the possible energy levels that electrons can occupy in a material. It covers the significance of the valence and conduction bands, the band gap, and its role in defining the electrical and optical properties of materials.

Materials and Methods:





Sodium Chloride (NaCl): The poster details the symmetric crystal structure of NaCl and its impact on its electronic properties. It includes a discussion on the wide band gap, which is a hallmark of insulators, and illustrates this with a DOS graph and analysis of the Brillouin Zone.




Silicon (Si): Focuses on the tetrahedral lattice structure of Silicon due to covalent bonding and its semiconducting properties. The poster explains Silicon's controlled electrical conductivity, especially when doped or at higher temperatures, and the significance of its indirect band gap.




Copper (Cu): Describes the dense, efficient packing of Cu atoms and the resultant metallic bonding that contributes to its excellent electrical and thermal conductivity. The overlapping of valence and conduction bands, as depicted in the DOS graph, is highlighted, emphasizing its metallic nature.



Key Points and Analysis:



The poster provides an insightful analysis of key points like Γ, X, U, W, K, and L in the Brillouin Zone for each material, explaining their relevance to the electronic structure and properties.

The role of the Fermi level and surface in understanding the conductive behavior of these materials is also discussed.


Images and Diagrams: The poster includes several graphs, diagrams, and crystal structure illustrations to support the textual content.

Conclusion: This presentation aims to provide a clear understanding of the fundamental electronic properties of insulators, semiconductors, and metals through the study of their band structures, contributing to the broader knowledge in the field of material science and solid-state physics.

References:



The poster cites important works in the field, including papers on band structure calculations and topological bands of materials.

For further information on material properties and band structures, visit the Next Generation Materials Project at next-gen.materialsproject.org/materials.


Keywords: Band Structure, Insulators, Semiconductors, Metals, Electronic Properties, Crystal Structure, Fermi Surface, Brillouin Zone, Density of States (DOS).