Carrier Lifetime in Semiconductors for Transient Conditions

On the basis of the trap model, previously used in the analysis of steady-state recombination, the solution is given for the transient recombination of holes and electrons in semiconductors such as is encountered in photoconductive decay experiments. The solution contains two time-constants: τᵢ, that associated with the readjustment in concentration of the recombination centers, and τₜ, the main recombination term. For low concentrations of recombination centers, τₜ and the Shockley-Read expression for steady-state lifetime are equivalent.