Advances in the electrical assessment of semiconductors using the scanning electron microscope

SUMMARY Recent developments in the application of the SEM to semiconductor assessment are described. Formulae are presented for the calculation of the mean carrier density injected by the electron beam. A procedure for the correction of diffusion length measurements for surface recombination is outlined. Measured diffusion lengths and lifetimes in GaP agree well. Lifetime measurements, when applied to the study of dislocations in GaP, show that recombination occurs mainly at a Cottrell atmosphere of impurities/defects surrounding the dislocation.