PHOTOACOUSTIC DETERMINATION OF NONRADIATIVE CARRIER LIFETIMES

From photoacoustic (PA) experiments we determine the nonradiative carr ier lifetime in direct band-gap semiconductors. We use the Rosencwaig and Gerscho model to calculate the PA signal in semiconductors taking into account the distinction between non-radiative and radiative carri er lifetimes. We have assumed that for our high quality crystalline sa mples, the main contribution. to the non-radiative processes comes fro m CHCC and CHSH Auger recombination for n and p-type materials, respec tively. For GaAs, InSb and GaSb samples, the experimental data obtaine d by means of an open photoacoustic cell were fitted to the theoretica l model and we show that the values we determined for the non-radiativ e recombination Lifetime agree well with those reported in the literat ure. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics.