Semiconducting materials are widely studied for use in solar energy and photocatalytic applications, among other areas of interest. For applications which involve the use of light, it is important to understand the energy needed to promote electrons from the valence band to the conduction band. This band gap energy can often be on par with the energy of photons in the UV-Visible region.
As such, UV-Visible spectroscopic techniques can be of use when assessing the band structure of semiconducting materials. Tauc plots, which are derived from the UV-Visible spectrum, provide the needed information to estimate the bandgap energy. In conjunction with computations and experimental results, the information gathered from a Tauc plot can aid in assessing the relative position of the valence and conduction bands.
In this webinar, the use of UV-Visible reflectance and transmittance measurements for band gap analysis will be discussed in detail. Additionally, necessary considerations when analyzing semiconducting samples with these methods with be outlined.
Benefits to viewing this video:
- Gain knowledge about the theory and application of Tauc plot analyses for both reflectance and transmittance measurements.
- Learn what sample properties and environmental factors can influence the measured spectra of a semiconducting sample.
- Understand the considerations needed to perform accurate UV-Visible measurements of films or colloidal solutions.
Who should watch:
- Research Scientists
- Materials Scientists/Engineers
- Semiconductor Engineers
About the presenter:
Jennifer Empey-Kohl
Jennifer Empey-Kohl is an Applications Scientist with Thermo Fisher Scientific where she supports the cuvette-based UV-Visible instruments. She earned her PhD in Chemistry from The Ohio State University where she used various steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopic techniques to study colloidal nanoparticles.