Skip to main content
Log in

Applicability of the empirical Varshni relation for the temperature dependence of the width of the band gap

  • Semiconductors. Dielectrics
  • Published:
Physics of the Solid State Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We have carried out a comparison of relations used to describe the temperature dependence of the width of the band gap in crystals. It is shown that for kT≫ℏω the well-known Varshni relation can be obtained from the non-empirical Fan expression in explicit form taking account of the phonon statistics. We have calculated the temperature coefficient bof the width of the band gap for a number of materials in the range where the high-temperature condition is not met. We have found that the Varshni relation overestimates β, whereas calculations based on the Fan expression agree with experiment.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Handbook of Physical Quantities, edited by I. S. Grigor’ev and E. Z. Meilikhov [in Russian] (Énergoatomizdat, Moscow, 1991).

    Google Scholar 

  2. N. W. Ashcroft and N. D. Mermin, Solid State Physics (Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York, 1976).

    Google Scholar 

  3. J. I. Pankove, Optical Processes in Semiconductors (Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 1971).

    Google Scholar 

  4. K. V. Shalimova, Physics of Semiconductors [in Russian] (Énergiya, Moscow, 1976).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Y. P. Varshni, Physica (Amsterdam) 34, 149 (1967).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. N. M. Ravindra and V. K. Srivastava, J. Phys. Chem. Solids 40, 791 (1979).

    Google Scholar 

  7. H. Y. Fan, Phys. Rev. 82, 900 (1951).

    ADS  MATH  Google Scholar 

  8. R. C. Tu, Y. K. Su, C. F. Li, Y. S. Huang, S. T. Chou, W. H. Lan, S. L. Tu, and H. Chang, J. Appl. Phys. 83, 1664 (1998).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. A. Radkowsky, Phys. Rev. 73, 749 (1948).

    Article  ADS  MATH  Google Scholar 

  10. A. S. Davydov, Theory of Light Absorption in Molecular Crystals [in Russian] (Izdat. Akad. Nauk USSR, Kiev, 1951).

    Google Scholar 

  11. H. Y. Fan, Photon-Electron Interaction: Crystals Without Fields (Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1967).

    Google Scholar 

  12. T. Skettrup, Phys. Rev. B 18, 2622 (1978).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. P. B. Allen and M. Cardona, Phys. Rev. B 23, 1495 (1981); 24, 7479 (1981).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. J. N. Zakis and H. Fritzsche, Phys. Status Solidi B 64, 123 (1974).

    Google Scholar 

  15. Yu. R. Zakis and A. V. Moskal’onov, Uch. Zap. LGU 231, 61 (1975) [Lecture Notes, Leningrad State Univ.].

    Google Scholar 

  16. G. D. Cody, “The optical absorption edge of a-Si:H,” in Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon, Part B, edited by J. Pankove (Academic Press, New York, 1984), p. 11.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 41, 994–998 (June 1999)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Vainshtein, I.A., Zatsepin, A.F. & Kortov, V.S. Applicability of the empirical Varshni relation for the temperature dependence of the width of the band gap. Phys. Solid State 41, 905–908 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1134/1.1130901

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/1.1130901

Keywords

Navigation