Mediaspace scheduled maintenance: Aug 25, 2026 07:00 - 12:00 AM. During this time, videos will be temporarily unavailable. Check status updates.

Lecture

Van der Waals Materials: 2D Crystals

In course

MSE-484: Properties of semiconductors and related nanostructures

This course explains the origin of optical and electrical properties of semiconductors. The course elaborates how they change when the semiconductors are reduced to sizes of few nanometers. The course provides also the basis to use software to calculate th ...

Description

This lecture explores the unique properties of Van der Waals materials, focusing on 2D crystals with strong in-plane bonds and weak interlayer coupling. Topics include electrical transport in solid-state solar cells, dimensionality effects, crystal structures, vibrational modes, band structures, and doping strategies.

Instructors (2)

Anna Fontcuberta i Morral

2014 Associate Professor at the Institut des Matériaux, EPFL 2008 Assistant Professor Tenure Track at the Institut des Matériaux, EPFL 2009 Habilitation in Physics, Technische Universität München 2005-2010 Marie Curie Excellence Grant Team Leader at Walter Schottky Institut, Technische Universität München, on leave from Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS, France) 2004-2005 Visiting Scientist at the California Institute of Technology, on leave from CNRS; Senior Scientist and co-founder of Aonex Technologies (a startup company for large area layer transfer of InP and Ge on foreign substrates for the main application of multi-junction solar cells) 2003 Permanent Research Fellow at CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, France 2001-2002 Postdoctoral Scholar at the California Institute of Technology Study of wafer bonding and hydrogen-induced exfoliation processes for integration of mismatched materials in views of photovoltaic applications Sponsor: Professor Harry A. Atwater 1998-2001 PhD in Materials Science, Ecole Polytechnique Study of polymorphous silicon: growth mechanisms, optical and structural properties. Application to Solar Cells and Thin Film Transistors Advisor: Pere Roca i Cabarrocas 1997-1998 Diplôme dEtudes Approfondis (D.E.A.) in Materials Science at Université Paris XI, France . 1993-1997 BA in Physics at Universitat de Barcelona

Valerio Piazza

Official source

Related concepts (32)

Crystal structure

In crystallography, crystal structure is a description of the ordered arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules in a crystalline material. Ordered structures occur from the intrinsic nature of the constituent particles to form symmetric patterns that repeat along the principal directions of three-dimensional space in matter. The smallest group of particles in the material that constitutes this repeating pattern is the unit cell of the structure.

Electronic band structure

In solid-state physics, the electronic band structure (or simply band structure) of a solid describes the range of energy levels that electrons may have within it, as well as the ranges of energy that they may not have (called band gaps or forbidden bands). Band theory derives these bands and band gaps by examining the allowed quantum mechanical wave functions for an electron in a large, periodic lattice of atoms or molecules.

Crystal system

In crystallography, a crystal system is a set of point groups (a group of geometric symmetries with at least one fixed point). A lattice system is a set of Bravais lattices. Space groups are classified into crystal systems according to their point groups, and into lattice systems according to their Bravais lattices. Crystal systems that have space groups assigned to a common lattice system are combined into a crystal family. The seven crystal systems are triclinic, monoclinic, orthorhombic, tetragonal, trigonal, hexagonal, and cubic.

Solar cell

A solar cell, or photovoltaic cell, is an electronic device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect, which is a physical phenomenon. It is a form of photoelectric cell, defined as a device whose electrical characteristics, such as current, voltage, or resistance, vary when exposed to light. Individual solar cell devices are often the electrical building blocks of photovoltaic modules, known colloquially as solar panels.

Single crystal

In materials science, a single crystal (or single-crystal solid or monocrystalline solid) is a material in which the crystal lattice of the entire sample is continuous and unbroken to the edges of the sample, with no grain boundaries. The absence of the defects associated with grain boundaries can give monocrystals unique properties, particularly mechanical, optical and electrical, which can also be anisotropic, depending on the type of crystallographic structure.

Related lectures (60)

Solar Cells: Working Principles

Covers the working principles of solar cells and the challenges in improving efficiency.

Density of States in Semiconductor Devices

Explores density of states in semiconductor devices, covering electron gas, energy bands, Fermi-Dirac distribution, and band structures.

Semiconductors: Basic Properties

Explores the basic properties of semiconductors, including conductivity, impurities, band gaps, and crystal structures.

Solid State Chemistry: Fundamentals and Applications

Delves into the fundamentals and applications of solid state chemistry, covering classification, characterization techniques, and various practical uses.

Electron Gas and Crystal Lattice