Patent · US Expired

Method for nondestructive measurement of minority carrier diffusion length and minority carrier lifetime in semiconductor devices

US6346821B1 · kind B1 · utility

8Cited by
12References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMar 11, 1999
Grant dateFeb 12, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 11, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L2924/0002
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method is provided for nondestructive measurement of minority carrier diffusion (Lp) length and accordingly minority carrier lifetime (Óp) in a semiconductor device. The method includes the steps of: reverse biasing a semiconductor device under test, scanning a focused beam of radiant energy along a length of the semiconductor device, detecting current induced in the DUT by the beam as it passes point-by-point along a length of the DUT, detecting current induced in the semiconductor device by the beam as it passes point-by-point along the scanned length of the semiconductor device to generate a signal waveform (Isignal), and determining from the Isignal waveform minority carrier diffusion length (Lp) and/or minority carrier lifetime (Óp) in the semiconductor device.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.