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February 11, 2026Advanced Electronic Materials2 citationsOpen Access

In‐Operando 4D‐STEM and STEM‐EBIC Imaging of Electric Fields and Charge Carrier Behavior in Biased Silicon p–n Junctions

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EMEoin MoynihanYXYining XieDCD. L. Cooper

Key Points

  • To explore the electronic properties and charge carrier behavior in silicon p-n junctions using advanced imaging techniques.
  • Utilized 4D-STEM for imaging electric fields and charge carrier dynamics
  • Employed STEM-EBIC for measuring localized electronic properties
  • Conducted quantitative analysis supported by simulations to interpret results
  • Investigated the effects of surface recombination on minority carrier diffusion length
  • Local electric fields and potential gradients were effectively measured
  • Minority carrier diffusion length influenced significantly by surface recombination at different thicknesses
  • 4D-STEM and STEM-EBIC provided complementary data for enhanced understanding of electronic components

Abstract

ABSTRACT Electronic devices are shrinking, and scanning transmission electron microscopy is essential for the characterization of in‐operando nanoscale devices. This paper demonstrates the combined capabilities of 4D‐STEM and STEM‐EBIC for measuring localized electronic properties (electric field strength, field direction, built‐in potential, and minority carrier diffusion length) in an in‐operando nanoscale device. Quantitative analysis supported by simulations enables robust interpretation of local electric fields and potential gradients. STEM‐EBIC measurements at different thicknesses show a regime where the effective diffusion length of minority carriers is entirely dominated by surface recombination. In situ biasing of a symmetrically doped 4 × 10 17 cm −3 p–n diode shows how 4D‐STEM and STEM‐EBIC complement each other for localized interpretation of electronic components.

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Cite This Study

Moynihan et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/698c1cc1267fb587c655f694https://doi.org/10.1002/aelm.202500415
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