Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Types of Semiconductors01:20

Types of Semiconductors

1.3K
Intrinsic semiconductors are highly pure materials with no impurities. At absolute zero, these semiconductors behave as perfect insulators because all the valence electrons are bound, and the conduction band is empty, disallowing electrical conduction. The Fermi level is a concept used to describe the probability of occupancy of energy levels by electrons at thermal equilibrium. In intrinsic semiconductors, the Fermi level is positioned at the midpoint of the energy gap at absolute zero. When...
1.3K
Semiconductors01:22

Semiconductors

1.3K
There is variation in the electrical conductivity of materials - metals, semiconductors, and insulators that are showcased with the help of the energy band diagrams.
Metals such as copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), or lead (Pb) have low resistivity and feature conduction bands that are either not fully occupied or overlap with the valence band, making a bandgap non-existent. This allows electrons in the highest energy levels of the valence band to easily transition to the conduction band upon gaining...
1.3K
Metal-Semiconductor Junctions01:24

Metal-Semiconductor Junctions

866
The contact of metal and semiconductor can lead to the formation of a junction with either Schottky or Ohmic behavior.
Schottky Barriers
Schottky barriers arise when a metal with a work function (Φm) contacts a semiconductor with a different work function (Φs). Initially, electrons transfer until the Fermi levels of the metal and semiconductor align at equilibrium. For instance, if Φm > Φs, the semiconductor Fermi level is higher than the metal's before contact. The...
866
Biasing of Metal-Semiconductor Junctions01:27

Biasing of Metal-Semiconductor Junctions

517
Biasing metal-semiconductor junctions involves applying a voltage across the junction. Specifically, the metal is connected to a voltage source, while the semiconductor is grounded. This technique is essential for controlling the direction and magnitude of current flow in electronic devices, including diodes, transistors, and photovoltaic cells.
In Schottky junctions, where the semiconductor is n-type, applying a positive voltage to the metal relative to the semiconductor reduces its Fermi...
517
Fermi Level Dynamics01:12

Fermi Level Dynamics

624
The vacuum level denotes the energy threshold required for an electron to escape from a material surface. It is usually positioned above the conduction band of a semiconductor and acts as a benchmark for comparing electron energies within various materials.
Electron affinity in semiconductors refers to the energy gap between the minimum of its conduction band and the vacuum level and it is a critical parameter in determining how easily a semiconductor can accept additional electrons.
The work...
624
Fermi Level01:18

Fermi Level

1.5K
The Fermi-Dirac function is represented by an S-shaped curve indicating the probability of an energy state being occupied by an electron at a given temperature. The Fermi level is the energy level at which there is a fifty percent chance of finding an electron, and it is positioned between the lower-energy valence band and the higher-energy conduction band.
At absolute zero temperature, electrons fill all energy states up to the Fermi level, leaving upper states empty. As the temperature rises,...
1.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Coherent control of quantum-dot spins with cyclic optical transitions.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Micro-Raman Scattering Analysis of Temperature-Dependent Electron Mobility and Fermi Level in n-Doped Homoepitaxial GaN Layers for Power Electronics.

ACS applied materials & interfaces·2026
Same author

PTCOG Ocular Survey - Perspective on Ocular Particle Therapy: Current Practices and Emerging Trends.

International journal of particle therapy·2026
Same author

An ESTRO-EPTN Delphi consensus on robustness evaluation in proton therapy.

Physics and imaging in radiation oncology·2026
Same author

Towards real-time beam monitoring and quality assurance of proton beams using radioluminescent silica fiber.

Physics in medicine and biology·2025
Same author

Phase Characterization of Singular Metasurfaces.

ACS photonics·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 8, 2026

Developing High Performance GaP/Si Heterojunction Solar Cells
10:31

Developing High Performance GaP/Si Heterojunction Solar Cells

Published on: November 16, 2018

7.9K

Imperfection in Semiconductors Leading to High Performance Devices.

Jean-Yves Duboz1, Matilde Siviero1, Lucas Lesourd1

  • 1CNRS, CRHEA, Université Côte d'Azur, Valbonne, France.

Advanced Science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)
|December 19, 2025
PubMed
Summary

Engineered defects in gallium nitride (GaN) diodes create a novel detection mode for high-energy particles. This defect-mediated photoconductivity significantly enhances sensitivity for low-flux particle detection.

Keywords:
defectdetectionsemiconductorssensitivitytransport

More Related Videos

Comprehensive Characterization of Extended Defects in Semiconductor Materials by a Scanning Electron Microscope
11:14

Comprehensive Characterization of Extended Defects in Semiconductor Materials by a Scanning Electron Microscope

Published on: May 28, 2016

14.3K
Silicon Metal-oxide-semiconductor Quantum Dots for Single-electron Pumping
14:58

Silicon Metal-oxide-semiconductor Quantum Dots for Single-electron Pumping

Published on: June 3, 2015

15.3K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 8, 2026

Developing High Performance GaP/Si Heterojunction Solar Cells
10:31

Developing High Performance GaP/Si Heterojunction Solar Cells

Published on: November 16, 2018

7.9K
Comprehensive Characterization of Extended Defects in Semiconductor Materials by a Scanning Electron Microscope
11:14

Comprehensive Characterization of Extended Defects in Semiconductor Materials by a Scanning Electron Microscope

Published on: May 28, 2016

14.3K
Silicon Metal-oxide-semiconductor Quantum Dots for Single-electron Pumping
14:58

Silicon Metal-oxide-semiconductor Quantum Dots for Single-electron Pumping

Published on: June 3, 2015

15.3K

Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Semiconductor Physics
  • Device Engineering

Background:

  • Semiconductors are crucial for optoelectronics, with crystalline perfection usually prioritized.
  • Specific lattice defects can introduce unique and beneficial material properties.
  • Gallium nitride (GaN) is a key semiconductor material for optoelectronic applications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effect of engineered defect states in GaN diodes on their response to high-energy protons.
  • To explore a novel defect-mediated photoconductive regime for particle detection.
  • To enhance the sensitivity of particle detectors for low-flux applications.

Main Methods:

  • Device simulations to model carrier dynamics and defect interactions.
  • Experimental measurements of GaN diode response under proton irradiation.
  • Characterization of a defect-mediated photoconductive regime under forward bias.

Main Results:

  • Engineered defects in GaN diodes significantly enhance sensitivity to high-energy protons.
  • A defect-mediated photoconductive regime was activated by forward biasing below the turn-on voltage.
  • This mode achieved a three-orders-of-magnitude sensitivity enhancement over photovoltaic operation, enabling detection of few protons per second.

Conclusions:

  • Engineered defects offer a pathway to highly sensitive particle detection using GaN diodes.
  • The defect-mediated photoconductive regime is effective for low-flux detection of protons, X-rays, and other high-energy particles.
  • This approach has broad applicability in medical, astronomical, and industrial imaging.