Abstract
In this chapter we use quantum mechanics to introduce the concept of energy bands in solids, that is essential to explain why, in terms of the electric properties, materials behave as metals, insulators, or semiconductors. We then present the meaning of the electron effective mass and study the behavior of electrons based on the statistical Fermi–Dirac distribution. Finally, we discuss the mechanism of the electric current in conducting materials and calculate the electric conductivity in terms of material parameters.
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Further Reading
R.E. Hummel, Electronic Properties of Materials (Springer, Berlin, 2011)
D. Jiles, Introduction to the Electronic Properties of Materials (CRC Press. Boca Raton, FA, 2017)
C. Kittel, Introduction to Solid State Physics (Wiley, New York, 2004)
D.J. Roulston, An Introduction to the Physics of Semiconductor Devices (Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1999)
L. Solymar, D. Walsh, Lectures on the Electrical Properties of Materials (Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2009)
F.F.Y. Wang, Introduction to Solid State Electronics (North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1989)
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Rezende, S.M. (2022). Electrons in Crystals. In: Introduction to Electronic Materials and Devices. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-81772-5_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-81772-5_4
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Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-81771-8
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-81772-5
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