DETERMINATION OF THE DIFFUSION-RECOMBINATION PARAMETERS OF SEMICONDUCTORS BY A CONTACT-FREE METHOD

A new method for determining the diffusion-recombination parameters of semiconductors is described. The method is based on contact-free meas urement of the electric currents generated in a semiconductor by the p hotomagnetic effect. Experimental investigations were performed on bul k samples (InSb, CdxHg1-xTe and epitaxial layers) (CdxHg1-xTe) at a te mperature of 77 K in magnetic fields of up to 0.2 T. Under the conditi ons of surface photoexcitation of nonequilibrium charge carriers the m aximum intensity of generation of electron-hole pairs was equal to 10( 19) cm(-2). s(-1). The mobility of the minority charge carriers, the s urface recombination rate, and the dependence of the bipolar diffusion length and the lifetime of the minority carriers on the excitation le vel were determined by analyzing the field and current versus illumina tion characteristics of the photomagnetic effect. The Auger-recombinat ion constants were determined for InSb and CdxHg1-xTe. (C) 1995 Americ an Institute of Physics.