An application of beta conductivity to measurement of resistivity distribution

An electron beam technique of measuring resistivity distribution in semiconductor crystals was successfully attempted by using the β conductivity (electron-beam-induced conductivity) due to pulsed electron beams of frequency 1 kHz, energy 20 kev, current less than 1 nA (mean value) and diameters about 10 and 3 μm. A one-dimensional analysis was considered to obtain the resistivity distribution from the measured β-conductive response. Validity of the present method was confirmed by using an n-Ge bar whose dimension and resistivity were 0·5 mm × 1 mm × 9·8 mm and a few tens of ohm-centimetres, respectively, and an application to a CdS bar of dimensions 1 mm × 2 mm × 3·6 mm and resistivity about 0·1 MΩ cm was reported. It was found that the present method was also suitable for detecting short circuits upon the specimen surface.