Calculation of the Electronic Properties of Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) Semiconductors for Photovoltaic Cells

Abstract

Gallium Arsenide is one of the III – IV semiconductors with a direct energy band gap. The electronic properties of Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) was calculated using the Projector Augmented Wave (PAW) method. The lattice constant was found to be 5.75 Ǻ, the bulk modulus is 62.3 GPa, and the pressure derivative of the bulk modulus is 4.52. The computed values of the electronic properties of GaAs shows that it is a good material for making photovoltaic cells whose importance in renewable energy cannot be over emphasized.