Electrical Properties of Carrier Generation‐Recombination Centers in Silicon p‐n Junctions Available to Purchase

The energy levels, the effective capture cross section for holes, and the concentration of the deep traps in the space‐charge layer of ordinary p‐n⁺ junctions and p‐n⁺ junctions which contain gold atoms diffused throughout the specimen have been studied by the pulsed‐field technique. The temperature dependence of the current‐voltage characteristics of both types of silicon p‐n junctions has also been studied. That the deep traps studied by the pulsed‐field technique are the Shockley‐Read‐type carrier generation‐recombination centers in the space‐charge layer of the silicon p‐n junctions has been confirmed for both kinds of silicon p‐n junctions by comparing the pulsed‐field data and the activation energy for the reverse current of the diodes. The energy levels and the charge character of the centers as well as the hole lifetime τ_po for the ordinary silicon p‐n⁺ junctions are in good agreement with the data of Sah, Noyce, and Shockley determined from their analysis of the diode characteristics.