Method and apparatus for determining minority carrier diffusion length in semiconductors
Abstract
Method and apparatus are provided for determining the diffusion length of minority carriers in semiconductor material, particularly amorphous silicon which has a significantly small minority carrier diffusion length using the constant-magnitude surface-photovoltage (SPV) method. An unmodulated illumination provides the light excitation on the surface of the material to generate the SPV. A manually controlled or automatic servo system maintains a constant predetermined value of the SPV. A vibrating Kelvin method-type probe electrode couples the SPV to a measurement system. The operating optical wavelength of an adjustable monochromator to compensate for the wavelength dependent sensitivity of a photodetector is selected to measure the illumination intensity (photon flux) on the silicon. Measurements of the relative photon flux for a plurality of wavelengths are plotted against the reciprocal of the optical absorption coefficient of the material. A linear plot of the data points is extrapolated to zero intensity. The negative intercept value on the reciprocal optical coefficient axis of the extrapolated linear plot is the diffusion length of the minority carriers.
- Inventors:
-
- Princeton, NJ
- Mercerville, NJ
- Issue Date:
- OSTI Identifier:
- 864622
- Patent Number(s):
- 4393348
- Application Number:
- 06/228,575
- Assignee:
- RCA Corporation (New York, NY)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
G - PHYSICS G01 - MEASURING G01R - MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES
Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y10 - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC Y10S - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- DOE Contract Number:
- XJ-9-8254-1
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- method; apparatus; determining; minority; carrier; diffusion; length; semiconductors; provided; carriers; semiconductor; material; particularly; amorphous; silicon; significantly; constant-magnitude; surface-photovoltage; spv; unmodulated; illumination; provides; light; excitation; surface; generate; manually; controlled; automatic; servo; maintains; constant; predetermined; value; vibrating; kelvin; method-type; probe; electrode; couples; measurement; operating; optical; wavelength; adjustable; monochromator; compensate; dependent; sensitivity; photodetector; selected; measure; intensity; photon; flux; measurements; relative; plurality; wavelengths; plotted; reciprocal; absorption; coefficient; linear; plot; data; extrapolated; zero; negative; intercept; axis; carrier diffusion; optical wavelength; optical absorption; diffusion length; amorphous silicon; semiconductor material; minority carrier; predetermined value; absorption coefficient; photon flux; minority carriers; automatic servo; manually controlled; particularly amorphous; optical wave; modulated illumination; determining minority; constant predetermined; light excitation; wavelength dependent; reciprocal optical; magnitude surface-photovoltage; /324/136/
Citation Formats
Goldstein, Bernard, Dresner, Joseph, and Szostak, Daniel J. Method and apparatus for determining minority carrier diffusion length in semiconductors. United States: N. p., 1983.
Web.
Goldstein, Bernard, Dresner, Joseph, & Szostak, Daniel J. Method and apparatus for determining minority carrier diffusion length in semiconductors. United States.
Goldstein, Bernard, Dresner, Joseph, and Szostak, Daniel J. Tue .
"Method and apparatus for determining minority carrier diffusion length in semiconductors". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/864622.
@article{osti_864622,
title = {Method and apparatus for determining minority carrier diffusion length in semiconductors},
author = {Goldstein, Bernard and Dresner, Joseph and Szostak, Daniel J},
abstractNote = {Method and apparatus are provided for determining the diffusion length of minority carriers in semiconductor material, particularly amorphous silicon which has a significantly small minority carrier diffusion length using the constant-magnitude surface-photovoltage (SPV) method. An unmodulated illumination provides the light excitation on the surface of the material to generate the SPV. A manually controlled or automatic servo system maintains a constant predetermined value of the SPV. A vibrating Kelvin method-type probe electrode couples the SPV to a measurement system. The operating optical wavelength of an adjustable monochromator to compensate for the wavelength dependent sensitivity of a photodetector is selected to measure the illumination intensity (photon flux) on the silicon. Measurements of the relative photon flux for a plurality of wavelengths are plotted against the reciprocal of the optical absorption coefficient of the material. A linear plot of the data points is extrapolated to zero intensity. The negative intercept value on the reciprocal optical coefficient axis of the extrapolated linear plot is the diffusion length of the minority carriers.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Jul 12 00:00:00 EDT 1983},
month = {Tue Jul 12 00:00:00 EDT 1983}
}