Measurement of minority carrier lifetimes in semiconductors
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Ames National Laboratory is a government-owned, contractor-operated national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), operated by and located on the campus of Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.
For more than 70 years, the Ames National Laboratory has successfully partnered with Iowa State University, and is unique among the 17 DOE laboratories in that it is physically located on the campus of a major research university. Many of the scientists and administrators at the Laboratory also hold faculty positions at the University and the Laboratory has access to both undergraduate and graduate student talent.
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Abstract
The bulk lifetimes of minority ,carriers in n-type l :germanium, in both n and p-type silicon and in n-type magnesium germanide have been investigated at room temperature. The sample was illuminated with periodic light ·flashes produced by a spark gap. The transient change in conductance of the sample after illumination gave the lifetime. In germanium and silicon the measured bulk lifetimes had values from 15 to 140 microseconds with estimated errors of 4 to 15 per cent, respectively. It was not possible to measure the lifetime in magnesium germanide because the particular sample used in this experiment was not sufficiently pure. The general solution of the equation of continuity for the minority carriers in a .rectangular sample has been obtained. The particular solution for the boundary and initial conditions of this experiment is discussed.