IS AN ILLUMINATED SEMICONDUCTOR FAR FROM THERMODYNAMIC-EQUILIBRIUM

Processes occurring in an irradiated semiconductor are discussed with respect to entropy production and thermal and chemical equilibria. Ent ropy is produced in the thermalization of electrons and holes and by t heir non-radiative recombination. As a consequence, there is no therma l and chemical equilibrium of electrons and holes with the incident ph otons and no chemical equilibrium with the phonons. Thermal and chemic al equilibrium exists, however, of electrons and holes with the emitte d photons, which allows to derive their spectrum from concepts of reve rsible thermodynamics.