Contactless determination and parametrization of charge-carrier mobility in silicon as a function of injection level and temperature using time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy

Abstract

Here, we analyze in a non-contact fashion charge carrier mobility as a function of injection level and temperature in silicon by time resolved THz spectroscopy (TRTS) and parametrize our data by the classical semi-empirical models of Klaassen and Dorkel & Leturcq. Our experimental results are in very good agreement with the pioneering works of Krausse and D\"annhauser analyzing this phenomena by employing contact-based methods. This agreement, that validates our methodology, can only be achieved by considering charge carrier diffusion effects following above bandgap near-surface pump photo-excitation of the sample. From our results, obtained over a large range of injection levels, we conclude that the model of Klaassen is the best on describing the collected data at room temperature. Furthermore, we analyze by TRTS the dependence of charge carrier mobility with temperature for a fixed injection level. Once more, the parametrization made by the classical model of Klaassen describe our data appropriately even without the necessity of applying any fitting parameters (just with the charge carrier density as an input). In this respect, our work supports the validity of the model and parametrization proposed by Klaassen, and also illustrate how TRTS can be reliably employed for the quantitative determination of mobility in semiconductors as a function of key parameters as injection level and temperature.