Self-sufficient minority carrier lifetime in silicon from quasi-steady-state photoluminescence

• Published in: Physica status solidi. A, Applications and materials science Vol. 209; no. 11; pp. 2286 - 2290
• Main Authors: Giesecke, J. A., Schubert, M. C., Warta, W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin WILEY-VCH Verlag 01-11-2012; WILEY‐VCH Verlag; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: carrier lifetime; photoluminescence; Radiation; silicon; Studies
• ISSN: 1862-6300; 1862-6319
• DOI: 10.1002/pssa.201228383

Quasi‐steady‐state photoluminescence is a versatile technique to determine carrier lifetime in silicon. A recent approach extracts carrier lifetime without a priori information about dopant concentration [Appl. Phys. Lett. 97, 092109 (2010)]. It utilizes the phase shift between a time‐modulated optical irradiation and the radiative recombination of a sample, while requiring a minimum of two measurements. The present paper is aimed at a generalization thereof that requires only one measurement. It brings about a substantial experimental simplification, significantly improved accuracy and precision, and it opens up paths to access material properties other than lifetime.