Microelectronic junctions in arsenian pyrite due to impurity and mixed sulfide heterogeneity
Impurities and crystal defects within the semiconducting bulk of a metal sulfide introduce energy levels within the forbidden bandgap. These levels in turn control semiconducting type and local electrical properties within single and multi-phased sulfide assemblages. Heterogeneity in sulfide semicon...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
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Mineralogical Society of America
2015
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/6083 |
| _version_ | 1848744974720434176 |
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| author | Laird, J. MacRae, C. Halfpenny, Angela Large, R. Ryan, C. |
| author_facet | Laird, J. MacRae, C. Halfpenny, Angela Large, R. Ryan, C. |
| author_sort | Laird, J. |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Impurities and crystal defects within the semiconducting bulk of a metal sulfide introduce energy levels within the forbidden bandgap. These levels in turn control semiconducting type and local electrical properties within single and multi-phased sulfide assemblages. Heterogeneity in sulfide semiconductivity linked to these impurities can lead to p-n micro-junction formation and potential distributions near the surface that may alter redox reactivity. Secondary gold ore genesis via a micro-galvanic effect related to heterogeneity has in the past been hypothetically linked to such micro-junctions. Understanding these regions and their interaction with weathering fluids in the regolith for example requires large-scale imaging of potential distributions associated with near-surface micro-junctions and correlation with the responsible elemental distributions. Here we investigate the existence of micro-electronic junctions in a mixed sulfide assemblage using scanning laser beam induced current (LBIC) and correlate them with pyrite-chalcopyrite interfaces mapped using combined energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and wavelength-dispersive spectroscopy (WDS) on an electron hyper-probe. Junctions in a natural assemblage are positively identified for the first time. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T06:09:59Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-6083 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T06:09:59Z |
| publishDate | 2015 |
| publisher | Mineralogical Society of America |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-60832017-10-02T02:28:05Z Microelectronic junctions in arsenian pyrite due to impurity and mixed sulfide heterogeneity Laird, J. MacRae, C. Halfpenny, Angela Large, R. Ryan, C. elemental mapping electrical properties heterojunction metal ore genesis Pyrite chalcopyrite laser beam induced current micro-junction semiconductors heterogeneity electrochemical mixed sulfides Impurities and crystal defects within the semiconducting bulk of a metal sulfide introduce energy levels within the forbidden bandgap. These levels in turn control semiconducting type and local electrical properties within single and multi-phased sulfide assemblages. Heterogeneity in sulfide semiconductivity linked to these impurities can lead to p-n micro-junction formation and potential distributions near the surface that may alter redox reactivity. Secondary gold ore genesis via a micro-galvanic effect related to heterogeneity has in the past been hypothetically linked to such micro-junctions. Understanding these regions and their interaction with weathering fluids in the regolith for example requires large-scale imaging of potential distributions associated with near-surface micro-junctions and correlation with the responsible elemental distributions. Here we investigate the existence of micro-electronic junctions in a mixed sulfide assemblage using scanning laser beam induced current (LBIC) and correlate them with pyrite-chalcopyrite interfaces mapped using combined energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and wavelength-dispersive spectroscopy (WDS) on an electron hyper-probe. Junctions in a natural assemblage are positively identified for the first time. 2015 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/6083 10.2138/am-2015-4648 Mineralogical Society of America restricted |
| spellingShingle | elemental mapping electrical properties heterojunction metal ore genesis Pyrite chalcopyrite laser beam induced current micro-junction semiconductors heterogeneity electrochemical mixed sulfides Laird, J. MacRae, C. Halfpenny, Angela Large, R. Ryan, C. Microelectronic junctions in arsenian pyrite due to impurity and mixed sulfide heterogeneity |
| title | Microelectronic junctions in arsenian pyrite due to impurity and mixed sulfide heterogeneity |
| title_full | Microelectronic junctions in arsenian pyrite due to impurity and mixed sulfide heterogeneity |
| title_fullStr | Microelectronic junctions in arsenian pyrite due to impurity and mixed sulfide heterogeneity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Microelectronic junctions in arsenian pyrite due to impurity and mixed sulfide heterogeneity |
| title_short | Microelectronic junctions in arsenian pyrite due to impurity and mixed sulfide heterogeneity |
| title_sort | microelectronic junctions in arsenian pyrite due to impurity and mixed sulfide heterogeneity |
| topic | elemental mapping electrical properties heterojunction metal ore genesis Pyrite chalcopyrite laser beam induced current micro-junction semiconductors heterogeneity electrochemical mixed sulfides |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/6083 |