Determination of grain boundary barrier height and interface states by a focused laser beam

Abstract

An experimental technique has been developed to study the electrical properties of semiconductor grain boundaries (GB’s) by a focused laser beam. The laser beam is trained on a GB while the photoconductivity of the sample is measured. This technique allows us to examine a localized region of an individual GB in semiconductors with multiple grains. The measurement of the steady state and transient signals as a function of temperature determines the grain boundary barrier height, trap energy, and capture cross section.