In solid-state physics, a band gap, also called an energy gap or bandgap, is an energy range in a solid where no electron states can exist. In graphs of the electronic band structure of solids, the band gap generally refers to the energy difference (in electron volts) between the top of the valence band and the bottom of the conduction band in insulators and semiconductors. It is the energy required to promote a valence electron bound to an atom to become a conduction electron, which is free to move within the crystal lattice and serve as a charge carrier to conduct electric current. It is closely related to the HOMO/LUMO gap in chemistry. If the valence band is completely full and the conduction band is completely empty, then electrons cannot move in the solid; however, if some electrons transfer from the valence to the conduction band, then current can flow (see carrier generation and recombination). Therefore, the band gap is a major factor determining the electrical conductivity of a solid. Substances with large band gaps are generally insulators, those with smaller band gaps are semiconductors, while conductors either have very small band gaps or none, because the valence and conduction bands overlap.
A thin film transistor (TFT) using an oxidesemiconductor as an active layer, a method of manufacturing the TFT, and a flat paneldisplay device having the TFT include a gate electrode formed on a substrate; an active layer made of an oxidesemiconductor and insulated from the gate electrode by a gate insulating layer; source and drain electrodes coupled to the active layer; and an interfacial stability layer formed on one or both surfaces of the active layer. In the TFT, the interfacial stability layer is formed of an oxide having a band gap of 3.0 to 8.0 eV. Since the interfacial stability layer has the same characteristic as a gate insulating layer and a passivation layer, chemically high interface stability is maintained. Since the interfacial stability layer has a band gap equal to or greater than that of the active layer, charge trapping is physically prevented.
On-chip multispectral imaging and data management is provided in the form of an Adaptive Focal Plane Array (AFPA) that is capable of spectral tunability at the pixel level. Layers of photonic crystals are registered with pixels of a broadband focal plane array. Spectral tuning is accomplished by switching the photonic crystallayers on / off and / or by changing their material structure to tune their photonic band gaps and provide a passband for incident photons. The photonic crystallayers are preferably segmented to independently address different regions or “cells” of pixels down to a pixel-by-pixel resolution. The AFPA may simultaneously sense different regions of a scene at different spectral wavelengths, spatial resolutions and sensitivities.
A deposition apparatus is provided for manufacturing an organic compound layer having a plurality of function regions. The deposition apparatus includes a plurality of evaporation sources within a deposition chamber, for enabling continuous formation of respective function regions comprised of organic compounds and, further, formation of a mixed region at an interface between adjacent ones of the function regions. With the deposition apparatus having such fabrication chamber, it is possible to prevent impuritycontamination between the functions regions and further possible to form an organic compound layer with an energy gap relaxed at the interface.