A Review of Minority Carrier Recombination Lifetime Measurements

Abstract

The recombination lifetime of minority carriers is a critical parameter in semiconductor devices such as photovoltaic cells since it controls the efficiency of such devices. Many techniques have been developed to accomplish recombination measurements and thereby test semiconductor devices' efficiencies. Recombination lifetime average values differ according to semiconductor device type; thus, choosing an appropriate technique is important. This paper studies the concept of excess minority carrier lifetime and its calculations. It also investigates the advantages, limitations, and capabilities of the most common recombination lifetime measurement techniques. A chart was drawn with all known measurement methods to make it easier to understand the relation between these techniques.