Effects of band structure on the energy exchange rate between quasithermal electron and hole distributions in semiconductors

The rate at which energy is exchanged between Maxwellian distributions of electrons at temperature Tₑ and holes at temperature Tₕ≠Tₑ has been calculated using K·{}P theory to approximate the Bloch-function contribution to the Coulomb matrix element. Inter-valence-band scattering processes are found to contribute significantly to the net exchange rate, indicating that band structure must be included in a proper treatment of Coulomb scattering involving holes in semiconductors.