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Analysis of the electron-beam-induced current of a polycrystalline p-n junction when the diffusion lengths of the material on either side of a grain boundary differThe short circuit current generated by the electron beam of a scanning electron microscope in p-n junctions is reduced by enhanced recombination at grain boundaries in polycrystalline material. Frequently, grain boundaries separate the semiconductor into regions possessing different minority carrier life times. This markedly affects the short circuit current I(sc) as a function of scanning distance from the grain boundary. It will be shown theoretically that (1) the minimum of the I(sc) in crossing the grain boundary with the scanning electron beam is shifted away from the grain boundary toward the region with smaller life time (shorter diffusion length), (2) the magnitude of the minimum differs markedly from those calculated under the assumption of equal diffusion lengths on either side of the grain boundary, and (3) the minimum disappears altogether for small surface recombination velocities (s less than 10,000 cm/s). These effects become negligible, however, for large recombination velocities s at grain boundaries. For p-type silicon this happens for s not less than 100,000 cm/s.
Document ID
19840055604
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Von Roos, O.
(California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena CA, United States)
Luke, K. L.
(California State University Long Beach, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 12, 2013
Publication Date
June 15, 1984
Publication Information
Publication: Journal of Applied Physics
Volume: 55
ISSN: 0021-8979
Subject Category
Solid-State Physics
Accession Number
84A38391
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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