heterostructure

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noun

Any structure made from a heterojunction.

OriginEnglish structure ← Ancient Greek ἕτερος (héteros) ← Proto-Hellenic *hə́teros →
UncommonScrabble 20
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Meanings

nounheterostructure (plural heterostructures)

plural heterostructures

  1. natural sciencesAny structure made from a heterojunction.

    The electronic properties of contacts between two semiconductors or, as they are commonly called, semiconductor heterostructures are determined by the lineup of their band structures across the interface and the existence of space-charge layers.

    2013, Winfried Mönch, Electronic Properties of Semiconductor Interfaces, page 109

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*sem-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*sḿ̥teros
  3. Proto-Hellenic*hə́teros
  4. Ancient Greekἕτερος (héteros)
  5. Englishhetero-
  6. Englishstructure
  7. Englishheterostructure

From hetero- + structure.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish heterorakenne
  • heterorakenneTranslations
Italian eterostruttura
  • eterostrutturaTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

heterostructure. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heterostructure

MLA

“heterostructure.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heterostructure. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “heterostructure,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heterostructure.

Source: heterostructure on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.