Influence of a space charge region on charge carrier kinetics in silicon wafers

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Abstract
p-type Si wafers provided with silicon nitride films at the surface are investigated by contactless transient photoconductivity measurements. Comparing wafers of different resistivities and wafers at one side and at two sides provided with nitride films shows that separation and storage of excess charge carriers in the space charge region is the main kinetic process at low injection level. Fitting of the experimental data with a simple model leads to the conclusion that the electron mobility in the interface is strongly reduced, a value 250(−+20%) cm2 V−1 s−1 is determined, independent of the wafer resistivity. This confirms the reduction of the electron mobility reported in the literature on the basis of completely different measurements.