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Title: Apparatus and methods of measuring minority carrier lifetime using a liquid probe

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for measuring minority carrier lifetimes using liquid probes are provided. In one embodiment, a method of measuring the minority carrier lifetime of a semiconductor material comprises: providing a semiconductor material having a surface; forming a rectifying junction at a first location on the surface by temporarily contacting the surface with a conductive liquid probe; electrically coupling a second junction to the semiconductor material at a second location, wherein the first location and the second location are physically separated; applying a forward bias to the rectifying junction causing minority carrier injection in the semiconductor material; measuring a total capacitance as a function of frequency between the rectifying junction and the second junction; determining an inflection frequency of the total capacitance; and determining a minority lifetime of the semiconductor material from the inflection frequency.

Inventors:
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1246893
Patent Number(s):
9310396
Application Number:
14/198,215
Assignee:
Alliance For Sustainable Energy, LLC (Golden, CO)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
G - PHYSICS G01 - MEASURING G01R - MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES
DOE Contract Number:  
AC36-08GO28308
Resource Type:
Patent
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 2014 Mar 05
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE

Citation Formats

Li, Jian. Apparatus and methods of measuring minority carrier lifetime using a liquid probe. United States: N. p., 2016. Web.
Li, Jian. Apparatus and methods of measuring minority carrier lifetime using a liquid probe. United States.
Li, Jian. Tue . "Apparatus and methods of measuring minority carrier lifetime using a liquid probe". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1246893.
@article{osti_1246893,
title = {Apparatus and methods of measuring minority carrier lifetime using a liquid probe},
author = {Li, Jian},
abstractNote = {Methods and apparatus for measuring minority carrier lifetimes using liquid probes are provided. In one embodiment, a method of measuring the minority carrier lifetime of a semiconductor material comprises: providing a semiconductor material having a surface; forming a rectifying junction at a first location on the surface by temporarily contacting the surface with a conductive liquid probe; electrically coupling a second junction to the semiconductor material at a second location, wherein the first location and the second location are physically separated; applying a forward bias to the rectifying junction causing minority carrier injection in the semiconductor material; measuring a total capacitance as a function of frequency between the rectifying junction and the second junction; determining an inflection frequency of the total capacitance; and determining a minority lifetime of the semiconductor material from the inflection frequency.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Apr 12 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Tue Apr 12 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}

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