Spatially-resolved investigation of transport in semiconductors: a photothermal deflection approach

Conference · Sat Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1985

OSTI ID:6368292

Skumanich, A; Fournier, D; Boccara, A C; Amer, N M

The unique ability of photothermal deflection spectroscopy to probe the local index of refraction of matter is exploited to investigate, in a spatially-resolved manner, thermal and electronic transport in semiconductors. An added advantage of this approach is that it is contactless; hence, it obviates the classical problems associated with electrodes and contacts. The basic premise of the technique is the use of the heat associated with non-radiative processes (e.g., recombination of carriers) to deflect a focussed laser probe beam (sub-gap energy) propagating through the semiconductor. The deflection of the probe beam is caused by a change in the refractive index of the sample which is in turn governed by carrier diffusion and recombination.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 6368292
• Report Number(s): LBL-20186; CONF-850886-5; ON: DE86002872
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

656000* -- Condensed Matter Physics
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
MATERIALS
MEASURING METHODS
NEUTRAL-PARTICLE TRANSPORT
PHOTOACOUSTIC SPECTROSCOPY
PHOTON TRANSPORT
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIATION TRANSPORT
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SPECTROSCOPY
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES