An advanced technique for measuring minority-carrier parameters and defect properties of semiconductors

Abstract

Rapid and contactless defect characterization is a very desirable goal in most current technologies. We will describe the contactless, resonant-coupled photoconductive decay (RCPCD) technique, as applied to a variety of wafer and thin-film materials. Using this technique, we can measure recombination lifetime over many decades of injection level. We can also measure relative values of minority-carrier mobility and diffusion length. By scanning the excitation wavelength, we can measure spectral response and photoconductive excitation spectra. Deep-level impurities can also be detected by several variations of RCPCD. We will show the general versatility of this technique.