Time-resolved photoluminescence imaging with electronic shuttering using an image intensifier unit

In contrast to traditional steady-state photoluminescence imaging (PLI), time-resolved photoluminescence imaging (TR-PLI) allows for a calibration-free measurement of the effective transient minority charge carrier lifetime τ eff in a silicon sample. For transient photoluminescence measurements, the illumination source as well as the camera signal have to be modulated on a time-scale in the order of τ eff . Different approaches for camera signal modulation have been presented, including the use of a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) camera or a rotating shutter wheel. In this work, the use of an InGaAs-based image intensifier unit as a fast optical shutter for TR-PLI was evaluated. Due to the fast switching times of the image intensifier, effective lifetimes down to 1/50 of the modulation period could be resolved reliably. Measurements under different illumination conditions allow for an injection-dependant analysis of τ eff and comparison to photoconductance decay measurements.