Theory of intrinsic recombination at zero temperature in small gap semiconductors

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
A theory of intrinsic recombination at zero temperature is developed. Numerical results in a wide range of excitation and doping concentrations are given for a model adapted to PbS0.1Se0.9. In order that first‐order Auger recombination is possible a minimum value of majority carrier concentration has to be reached. Consequently, a finite small signal lifetime only exists if doping concentration ND > N D min, where for PbS0.1Se0.9 N D min ≈ 4.5 × 1018 cm−3 in case of parabolic model and N Dmin ≈ 9 × 1019 cm−3 in case of Kane model of band structure. Radiative recombination rate only depends on minority carrier concentration p. At strong excitation the radiative lifetime behaves like p−213 in parabolic and like p−113 in Kane band approximation. Quantum efficiency η of radiative processes in dependence on ND decreases steplike near N D ≈ N D min.