OPTICAL IMAGING OF CARRIER DYNAMICS IN SILICON WITH SUBWAVELENGTH RESOLUTION

Characteristic rate variations of carrier processes are imaged using n ear-field scanning optical microscopy. We couple both a visible pump a nd an infrared probe light through a subwavelength aperture to investi gate the interband recombination and intraband diffusion of excess car riers in oxidized silicon. Typical values of the locally measured life time constants agree well with those obtained by conventional space-a veraged techniques. Moreover, the images locate defects, reveal variat ions, and can map the regions in which a recombination process is acti ve. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.