The band gap energy refers to the energy difference between the conduction band and the valence band in a semiconductor. For silicon (Si), the band gap is typically 1.1 eV at room temperature (300K).
- 0.8 eV: This value is closer to the band gap of germanium (Ge), not silicon.
- 1.1 eV: This is the correct value for silicon at room temperature.
- 2.3 eV: This value is closer to the band gap of gallium arsenide (GaAs), not silicon.
- 3.5 eV: This is the band gap of diamond, not silicon.
Thus, the band gap energy of silicon is 1.1 eV.