Title:
SURFACE PASSIVATION METHOD AND ARRANGEMENT FOR MEASURING THE LIFETIME OF MINORITY CARRIERS IN SEMICONDUCTORS
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO2001061745
Kind Code:
A3
Abstract:
The invention relates to a method and arrangement for passivating the surface of semiconductor samples in which, simultaneously to passivation, the life-time of free carriers is also determined by illuminating the semiconductor sample by a light pulse of higher energy than the forbidden band of the material, and the time function of the resistance change occurring in the semiconductor as a result of illumination is measured advantageously by a microwave reflectometer, and the life-time of carriers is determined as the characteristic time constant of the process. The essence of the method lies in that, the surface part of the semiconductor sample to be measured is continuously electrically charged. The arrangement comprises a microwave reflectometer (2), a signal processing unit (3), and a laser light source (4) illuminating the semiconductor sample (1). The surface of the semiconductor sample (1) charged by ions generated by corona generators (5, 6) simultaneously with the measurement.
Inventors:
PAVELKA TIBOR (HU)
Application Number:
PCT/HU2001/000018
Publication Date:
January 31, 2002
Filing Date:
February 15, 2001
Export Citation:
Assignee:
SEMILAB FELVEZETO FIZ LAB RT (HU)
PAVELKA TIBOR (HU)
PAVELKA TIBOR (HU)
International Classes:
G01N22/00; G01R31/26; G01R31/265; H01L21/66; (IPC1-7): H01L21/66; G01N22/00
Domestic Patent References:
| WO1992011528A1 | 1992-07-09 |
Foreign References:
| US5760597A | 1998-06-02 | |||
| US6011404A | 2000-01-04 | |||
| EP0470692A2 | 1992-02-12 | |||
| US5406214A | 1995-04-11 | |||
| US5580828A | 1996-12-03 |
Other References:
SCHOFTHALER M ET AL: "High-quality surface passivation by corona-charged oxides for semiconductor surface characterization", 1994 IEEE FIRST WORLD CONFERENCE ON PHOTOVOLTAIC ENERGY CONVERSION. CONFERENCE RECORD OF THE TWENTY FOURTH IEEE PHOTOVOLTAIC SPECIALISTS CONFERENCE-1994 (CAT.NO.94CH3365-4), PROCEEDINGS OF 1994 IEEE 1ST WORLD CONFERENCE ON PHOTOVOLTAIC ENERGY CONVERS, 1994, New York, NY, USA, IEEE, USA, pages 1509 - 1512 vol.2, XP002177526, ISBN: 0-7803-1460-3
SCHMIDT J ET AL: "Easy-to-use surface passivation technique for bulk carrier lifetime measurements on silicon wafers solar cells", PROGRESS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS: RESEARCH AND APPLICATIONS, JULY-AUG. 1998, WILEY, UK, vol. 6, no. 4, pages 259 - 263, XP002177527, ISSN: 1062-7995
SCHOFTHALER M ET AL: "Sensitivity and transient response of microwave reflection measurements", JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS, 1 APRIL 1995, USA, vol. 77, no. 7, pages 3162 - 3173, XP002177528, ISSN: 0021-8979
SCHRODER D K ET AL: "Corona-oxide-semiconductor device characterization", SOLID-STATE ELECTRONICS, APRIL 1998, ELSEVIER, UK, vol. 42, no. 4, pages 505 - 512, XP002177529, ISSN: 0038-1101
SCHMIDT J ET AL: "Easy-to-use surface passivation technique for bulk carrier lifetime measurements on silicon wafers solar cells", PROGRESS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS: RESEARCH AND APPLICATIONS, JULY-AUG. 1998, WILEY, UK, vol. 6, no. 4, pages 259 - 263, XP002177527, ISSN: 1062-7995
SCHOFTHALER M ET AL: "Sensitivity and transient response of microwave reflection measurements", JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS, 1 APRIL 1995, USA, vol. 77, no. 7, pages 3162 - 3173, XP002177528, ISSN: 0021-8979
SCHRODER D K ET AL: "Corona-oxide-semiconductor device characterization", SOLID-STATE ELECTRONICS, APRIL 1998, ELSEVIER, UK, vol. 42, no. 4, pages 505 - 512, XP002177529, ISSN: 0038-1101
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