Contribution to the study of electronic structure of crystalline semiconductors (Si, Ge, GaAs, Gap , ZnTe, ZnSe)

Abstract

The band structure of semiconductors was described by several theorists since the Fifties. The main objective of the present paper is to do a comparative study between various families of semi-conductors IV ( Si,Ge), III-V (GaAs, GaP) and II-VI (ZnSe, ZnTe) with both methods; tight Binding1 method and pseudo potential method2. This work enables us to understand as well as the mechanism of conduction process in these semiconductors and powers and limits of the above methods. The obtained results allow to conclude that both methods are in a good agreement to describe the morphology of band structures of the cited semiconductors. This encourages us to study in the future the electronic behaviour through the structure of bands for more complex systems such as the heterostructures. © Owned by the authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2012.