Fast electron initiated electron–hole pair creation in semiconductors

• Published in: Journal of applied physics 2024-10, Vol.136 (16)
• Main Authors: Bodie, C. S., Barnett, A. M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alpha particles; Alpha rays; Electrons; Energy resolution; Ion pairs; Nuclear engineering; Optoelectronics; Particle physics; Photovoltaic cells; Proportional counters; Quantum computing; Semiconductor materials; Semiconductors; Statistics
• ISSN: 0021-8979; 1089-7550
• DOI: 10.1063/5.0225827

Through Monte Carlo modeling, it is shown that the statistics of electron–hole pair creation in semiconductors (and by extension, presumably, ion-pair creation in gas proportional counters) are substantially different for fast electrons (and by extension, presumably, alpha particles, ions, etc.) cf. x-ray/γ-ray photons. New variables are introduced to quantify the differences in the statistics: the loss parameter, ζ(E′), which acts on the average e−–h+ pair creation energy; and the broadening factor, B(E′), which acts on the Fano factor. E′ is the initial energy of the fast electron. ζ(E′) and B(E′) are computed for a variety of semiconductor materials. A new equation for the statistically limited energy resolution of a particle counting fast electron spectrometer is established. This new equation supersedes and replaces that for the Fano-limited energy resolution of a particle counting fast electron spectrometer. The implications impact a wide variety of fields wherever fast electrons (or alpha particles, ions, etc.) and/or Fano statistics are used; this includes, inter alia, quantum computing, x-ray excitonics, space science, optoelectronics, nuclear engineering, particle physics, photovoltaics, and even neural response variability in the brain.