A New Technique For Measuring Spatially Resolved Minority Carrier Lifetimes Using A Scanning Laser Microscope

R. G. Lankin; A. E. Dixon

doi:10.1117/12.941491

3 August 1987 A New Technique For Measuring Spatially Resolved Minority Carrier Lifetimes Using A Scanning Laser Microscope

R. G. Lankin, A. E. Dixon

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 0809, Scanning Imaging Technology; (1987) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.941491
Event: Fourth International Symposium on Optical and Optoelectronic Applied Sciences and Engineering, 1987, The Hague, Netherlands

Abstract

A frequency response technique for measuring carrier and trap lifetimes in semiconductors has been developed for use with a scanning laser microscope. Electron-hole pairs are excited in the semiconductor specimen using a square-wave modulated focused laser beam. A vector lock-in amplifier measures the real and quadrature components of the induced photoresponse as a function of frequency. This frequency domain data is corrected to remove the square wave modulation harmonic effects, and Fourier transformed into time domain data to produce the time domain transient decay curve; this curve is then analyzed in the same way as the conventional transient photoresponse data resulting from a pulsed laser experiment. The spatial resolution obtained is two orders of magnitude better than previously obtained in pulsed laser experiments, and the increased signal-to-noise ratio achieved with a lock-in amplifier enables us to measure bulk lifetimes in crystalline semiconductors, or lifetimes near grain boundaries in polycrystalline semiconductors with extremely low sample bias and low laser intensity.

Citation Download Citation

R. G. Lankin and A. E. Dixon "A New Technique For Measuring Spatially Resolved Minority Carrier Lifetimes Using A Scanning Laser Microscope", Proc. SPIE 0809, Scanning Imaging Technology, (3 August 1987); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.941491

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available