SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 01 January 1980
STP35136S

Minority Carrier Lifetime Profile Measurements by Use of the Photocurrent Technique

Source

Using the photocurrent technique, lifetime measurements on electron irradiated silicon were carried out. The electron energy was varied between 0.5 and 2.5 MeV. The doses were in the range of 5 × 1013 cm−2 to 1016 cm−2. The measured lifetime distribution over the wafer showed a decrease of lifetime from about 50 μs outside to less than 0.5 μs within the irradiated area for an electron energy of 0.5 MeV. For doses increasing from 5 × 1013 cm−2 to 1016 cm−2, a decrease in lifetime outside the irradiated area was also observed.

It was shown that the determination of lifetimes by use of the photocurrent method is restricted to layers thicker than 2.5 times the diffusion length. However, if light with a short penetration depth is used, the travel time of the minority carriers from the illuminated side of the specimen to the Schottky contact can be measured, and the measurement can be extended to thinner specimens. The influence of the absorption coefficient and the surface recombination velocity are discussed.

The measurements were carried out on a silicon wafer with a diffusion length comparable to the thickness of the specimen.

Author Information

Reichl, H
Fraunhofer Institut für Festkörpertechnologie, Munich, West Germany
Ruge, I
Fraunhofer Institut für Festkörpertechnologie, Munich, West Germany
Eichinger, P
Fraunhofer Institut für Festkörpertechnologie, Munich, West Germany
Müller, JL
Fraunhofer Institut für Festkörpertechnologie, Munich, West Germany
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Details
Developed by Committee: F01
Pages: 171–182
DOI: 10.1520/STP35136S
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-4780-5
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-0390-0