Generalized procedure to determine the dependence of steady-state photoconductance lifetime on the occupation of multiple defects

Abstract

We present a procedure to determine the dependence of photoconductance lifetime on the occupation of multiple defects. The procedure requires numerical iteration, making it more cumbersome than the analytical equations available for single-defect and simplified two-defect cases, but enabling the following features: (i) it accounts for the defect concentration when calculating the equilibrium carrier concentrations, (ii) it permits recombination through any number of defects, (iii) it calculates the occupation fraction of all defects at any injection, and (iv) it promotes a good understanding of the role of defect occupation in photoconductance measurements. The utility of the numerical procedure is demonstrated on an experimental sample containing multiple defects. The dependence of the sample’s photoconductance on carrier concentration and temperature can be qualitatively described by the generalized procedure but not by either analytical model. The example also demonstrates that the influence of defect occupation on photoconductance lifetime measurements is mitigated at elevated temperatures—a conclusion of particular worth to the study of multicrystalline silicon.