Definition
In a semiconductor, the electron-energy band immediately below the bandgap that separates it from the conduction band; unoccupied states in this band are holes.
Application
Used in energy-band diagrams and carrier-statistics calculations to describe hole populations and electron excitation into the conduction band.
Related concepts
Evidence and further reading
- Evidence from ocw.mit.eduhttps://ocw.mit.edu/courses/6-720j-integrated-microelectronic-devices-spring-2007/10707b9dced1bed9ea148baae9689b0b_lecture2.pdf
- Evidence from chu.berkeley.eduhttps://www.chu.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Chenming-Hu_ch1-3.pdf