Recombination lifetime in a gold-doped p-type silicon crystal

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The temperature dependence of the carrier recombination lifetime in a gold-doped p-type silicon is analysed on the basis of the Shockley-Read-Hall recombination theory. The analysis indicates that the temperature dependence of the recombination lifetime does not practically give an energy level of a recombination centre locating at an energy level deeper than about 0.35 eV from either the silicon conduction-band edge or the valence-band edge. The recombination lifetime in a gold-doped p-type silicon is measured at various temperatures using a microwave photoconductive decay method. The observed temperature dependence of the recombination lifetime indicates that the lifetime is controlled by the gold donor. However, the observed recombination lifetime is about one-eighth of the recombination lifetime calculated using the gold-donor concentration as determined by deep-level transient spectroscopy. Some causes for this discrepancy are discussed.