Study on the structural characteristics of HgCdTe photodiodes using laser beam-induced current

The structural characteristics of typical n⁺-on-p HgCdTe photodiodes have been studied by laser beam-induced current (LBIC). The dependence of LBIC on laser wavelength, junction depth and localized leakage has been presented. The diffusion length of minority carrier of p-type region is extracted by the exponential decay fitting of the curve of LBIC. It is found that the peak magnitude of LBIC and junction depth approximate to a linear relationship for practical values of device fabrication. The diffusion length monotonously increases with the junction depth. A notable shift of LBIC profile is observed when localized leakage exists. This provides a useful explain for LBIC applying to characterize the structure and process uniformity of HgCdTe infrared detectors.     

激光束诱导电流法提取HgCdTe光伏探测器的电子扩散长度

由于得到HgCdTe扩散长度L_p的标准测试结构会损伤p-n结单元,实验中广泛采用激光束诱导电流（LBIC）提取的等效扩散长度L来代替L_p.本文通过二维数值模拟,分析了等效扩散长度L和扩散长度L_p 的关系.二者的比例关系为L/L_p=1.1,该基本关系不受器件的关键参数如掺杂浓度、载流子寿命、载流子迁移率等的影响.最后将激光束 关键词： 碲镉汞 激光束诱导电流 扩散长度     

HgCdTe器件中载流子扩散长度的硼离子注入效应研究

报道了非直接接触、高分辨率的激光束诱导电流谱表征技术在检测半导体材料、器件工艺中的应用.研究结果表明:p型HgCdTe薄膜经硼离子注入后形成的n型区面积大于实际的离子注入区域;对不同注入剂量系列单元不同区域载流子扩散长度进行了提取,表明n区载流子扩散长度随硼离子注入剂量增加而减小.     

Dependence of laser beam induced current on geometrical sizes of the junction for HgCdTe photodiodes

The dependence of laser beam induced current (LBIC) on the junction structure of \(\text {n}^{+}\) -on-p HgCdTe photodiode has been numerically investigated. The calculated LBIC profiles varying with the junction depth are in good agreement with the experimental results (Musca et al. in J Electron Mater 28:603–610, 1999). It is found that there is a linear relationship between the magnitude of LBIC peak and the size of junction, such as depth and length. In addition, the LBIC shape between two peaks becomes more flat with increasing the junction depth. A competition mechanism of lateral and vertical current flow is proposed to explain the junction size dependence of the LBIC signal. The results help us to better understand the induced current flowing in photodiodes with different junction structures.     

Defect detection in solar cells via electroluminescence,LBIC, and EBIC methods

Structural defects affecting the efficiency of multicrystalline silicon solar cells are investigated by the electron-beam-induced current (EBIC) mode of a scanning electron microscope and the laser-beam-induced current (LBIC) method. It is experimentally demonstrated that the LBIC technique is more sensitive to electrically active 2D defects than the EBIC approach at large values of the diffusion length and excitation-beam penetration depth. The comparison of LBIC (or EBIC) and electroluminescence images enables us to reveal the correlation between solar-cell short circuits and electrically active structural defects.     

Determination of diffusion length in photovoltaic crystalline silicon by modelisation of light beam induced current

The diffusion length of minority carriers is one of the most important electrical parameters to qualify silicon for photovoltaic applications. One way to evaluate this parameter is to analyse the decay of the current induced when a focused beam is scanned away from the collector using Light Beam Induced Current (LBIC) technique. The LBIC signal was numerically calculated with 2D-DESSIS software under different boundary conditions, as a function of material thickness and surface recombination velocity in order to verify the limitations of analytical models and to fit the LBIC signal measured in thin silicon samples. Samples with thickness ranging from 55 μm to 2500 μm were evaluated with diffusion length values ranging from 70 μm to 2.5 mm. Analytical expressions of the Internal Quantum Efficiency (IQE) were also used to extract the minority carrier bulk and effective diffusion lengths from surface averaged spectral response and reflectivity data in thick solar cells.     

Simulation of laser beam induced current for HgCdTe photodiodes with leakage current

We report on 2D numerical simulations of laser beam induced current (LBIC) for HgCdTe photovoltaic detector. The effect of junction leakage current on LBIC signal is investigated, and different leakage paths caused by different reasons in HgCdTe photodiode arrays are taken into account in the simulation. The simulation results are in good agreement with the experiment data. Simulation results suggest that LBIC can be used to determine the existence of junction leakage current and investigate the origin of junction leakage current.     

Electrical properties of purified solar grade silicon substrates using a combination of porous silicon and SiCl4

This work investigates the photo-thermal treatment of solar grade (SG) silicon to reduce impurities to a low level suitable for high efficiency low-cost solar cells application. It describes experiment carried out by using a tungsten lamps furnace (rapid thermal processing, RTP) to purify solar grade silicon wafers using a combination of porous silicon (PS) and silicon tetrachloride. This process enables to attract the impurities towards the porous layer where they react with SiCl₄ to form metallic chlorides. The gettering effect was studied using the Hall Effect and the Van Der Pauw methods to measure the resistivity, the majority carrier concentration and mobility. We have obtained a significant improvement of the majority carrier mobility after such thermo-chemical treatment. The gettering efficiency is also evaluated by the relative increase of the minority carrier diffusion length L, measured by the light beam induced current (LBIC) technique.     

Correlation of atomic force microscopy detecting local conductivity and micro‐Raman spectroscopy on polymer–fullerene composite films

Thin hetero‐junction composite films of polymer (electron donor) and fullerene (electron acceptor) are prepared on indium‐tin‐oxide coated glass by spin‐coating from solution in dichlorobenzene. Optimized atomic force microscopy (AFM) parameters allowed us to scan these soft composite films in contact mode and to measure their local conductivity with high lateral resolution by current‐sensing AFM. The morphology and local conductivity data are correlated with Kelvin force microscopy and micro‐Raman mapping and discussed with view to their photovoltaic properties. Regions with both compounds present are compared to areas where the components segregated, acting as shunts of the junction. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Probing of energy gap distribution in superconducting tunnel junctions by low temperature scanning electron microscopy

A two-dimensional voltage image of the energy gap distribution of a superconducting tunnel junction was obtained by scanning the current biased junction with an electron beam and detecting the voltage change δV. The value of the energy gap at the point of irradiation was determined quantitatively from the δV σ(V) curves, where σ(V) is the electric conductance of the junction. Further the quasiparticle diffusion length was found by measuring the length of the transition between a high- and low-gap region generated by a double tunnel junction configuration. The theoretical predictions could be verified by investigating a double tunnel junction configuration, where the energy gap could be changed deliberately by quasiparticle injection.     

Surface Light Extraction Mapping from Photonic Quasicrystal on Current Two-Dimensional Array of 12-Fold Injected GaN-Based LEDs

A two-dimensional array of dodecagonal photonic quasicrystal （12PQC） is fabricated on the surface of current injected GaN-based LEDs to out-couple guided modes. The spatially-resolved surface light extraction mapping of 12PQC is observed and compared with that of triangular lattice photonic crystal （3PC） by microscopic electrical luminescence and scanning near-field microscopy. The higher enhancement factor of 12PQC is obtained to be larger than that of 3PC. It is shown that 12PQC is more favourable and efficient for light extraction of guided lights.     

电子辐照下GaAs/Ge太阳电池载流子输运机理研究

通过地面模拟辐照试验获得不同能量电子辐照下GaAs/Ge太阳电池电学参数退化的基本规律, 在此基础上使用PC1 D模拟程序分析太阳电池内部的载流子输运机理, 建立不同能量的电子辐照下GaAs/Ge太阳电池中多数载流子浓度和少数载流子扩散长度随辐照粒子注量变化的基本规律. 研究结果表明: 多数载流子浓度和少数载流子扩散长度均随入射电子注量的增大而减小, 多数载流子去除率和少数载流子扩散长度损伤系数均随电子能量的增高而增大, 多数载流子去除效应和少数载流子扩散长度缩短分别是电池开路电压和短路电流退化的主要原因.     

p-n结二极管结区边界附近的交流电特性

基于p-n结二极管的理想工作状态的基本假定,推导了二极管在交流电下工作时其基区和p-n结分界面附近上的时间常数与二极管空间尺寸、扩散长度、载流子寿命和外加交流电频率等的依赖关系.结果发现高频和低频两种状态下二极管各类特征参量对时间常数的作用不一样.低频条件下,二极管的时间常数由材料本身来决定,与外加电流频率无关.高频情况下,时间常数则与半导体材料性质无关,只由外加交流电的频率来决定. 关键词： p-n结二极管 时间常数 载流子 分界面     

p-n结二极管结区边界附近的交流电特性

基于p-n结二极管的理想工作状态的基本假定，推导了二极管在交流电下工作时其基区和p-n结分界面附近上的时间常数与二极管空间尺寸、扩散长度、载流子寿命和外加交流电频率等的依赖关系.结果发现高频和低频两种状态下二极管各类特征参量对时间常数的作用不一样.低频条件下，二极管的时间常数由材料本身来决定，与外加电流频率无关.高频情况下，时间常数则与半导体材料性质无关，只由外加交流电的频率来决定.     

Photographic diagnosis of crystalline silicon solar cells utilizing electroluminescence

The photographic surveying of electroluminescence (EL) under forward bias was proved to be a powerful diagnostic tool for investigating not only the material properties but also process induced deficiencies visually in silicon (Si) solar cells. Under forward bias condition, solar cells emit infrared light (wavelength around 1000 to 1200 nm) whose intensity reflects the number of minority carriers in base layers. Thus, all the causes that affect the carrier density can be detected, i.e., the minority carrier diffusion length (or in other words, lifetime), recombination velocity at surfaces and interfaces, etc. (intrinsic material properties), and wafer breakage and electrode breakdown, etc. (extrinsic defects). The EL intensity distribution can be captured by Si CCD camera in less than 1 s, and the detection area simply depends upon the optical lens system suitable to the wide range of 1 cm–1.5 m. This fast and precise technique is superior to the conventional scanning method such as the laser beam induced current (LBIC) method. The EL images are displayed as grayscale, which leads to the difficulty of distinguishing the sorts of those deficient areas. Since the intrinsic deficiency is more sensitive to temperature than the extrinsic deficiency, the change in solar cell temperature can offer the difference in EL intensity contrasts. These effects upon the measurement temperature can be applied to categorize the types of deficiency in the crystalline Si solar cell.     

Low energy scanning transmission electron beam induced current for nanoscale characterization of p–n junctions

Electron beam induced current (EBIC) at p–n junctions can be measured in high spatial resolution using a thin lamella geometry, where most incident electrons transmit the sample. We explore the case of low excitation energies in a wedge‐shaped lamella geometry to increase resolution in a controlled way. We compare a sample with high (Si) and low (manganite‐titanate heterojunction) diffusion length and use Monte Carlo based simulations as a reference. It is shown that the EBIC signal obtained from the Si junction vanishes below a thickness of 300 nm, whereas this happens at 80 nm in the PCMO–STNO junction. This allows for achieving an EBIC resolution of better than 50 nm for the latter system. The observed fundamental differences between the silicon and the perovskite junction are discussed in terms of preparation induced ‘dead’ layers and surface recombination.     

Current transport along grain boundaries in d-wave superconductors

The use of a classic phase retrieval algorithm has been previously used to determine the local critical current J_c(x) along the length of grain boundary Josephson junctions that can be characterized using a standard s-wave model. The phase retrieval approach has been modified for use with d-wave dominated superconductors to allow for negative local currents along the boundary. In general solutions to the 1-D phase problem are not unique, however in the present work special constraints are employed experimentally to ensure uniqueness. The various current distribution solutions and their possible uniqueness are explored. The solutions are consistent with most existing d-wave Josephson junction boundary models and can be used to understand the basic current distribution along 45° YaBa₂Cu₃O_7−x grain boundary junctions as well as providing a means for mapping the location of self-generated flux cores.     

Diffusion current in a system of coupled Josephson junctions

The role of a diffusion current in the phase dynamics of a system of coupled Josephson junctions (JJs) has been analyzed. It is shown that, by studying the temporal dependences of the superconducting, quasi-particle, diffusion, and displacement currents and the dependences of average values of these currents on the total current, it is possible to explain the main features of the current-voltage characteristic (CVC) of the system. The effect of a diffusion current on the character of CVC branching in the vicinity of a critical current and in the region of hysteresis, as well as on the part of CVC branch corresponding to a parametric resonance in the system is demonstrated. A clear interpretation of the differences in the character of CVC branching in a model of capacitively coupled JJs (CCJJ model) and a model of capacitive coupling with diffusion current (CCJJ+DC model) is proposed. It is shown that a decrease in the diffusion current in a JJ leads to the switching of this junction to an oscillating state. The results of model calculations are qualitatively consistent with the experimental data.     

丝状发光的GaAs注入式半导体激光器中结电流密度与载流子浓度的分布

本文从一简单模型出发,计算了丝状发光器件的电流密度、电压、载流子浓度和增益分布。以数值结果揭示外延层的体电阻率及厚度、活性区载流子的扩散长度、模增益和丝区宽度等参量对上述各种分布的影响。特别是电阻率,对丝区宽度将有显著影响。模型把外电路的可测量与器件的发光特性联系在一起,指出平均工作电流密度与发光丝区的电流密度之明显差别。结果也表明,器件材料的不均匀性对丝的定位将有重要作用。 关键词：