A theoretical explanation of the carrier lifetime as a function of the injection level in gold-doped silicon

An expression for the recombination rate in gold-doped silicon is derived taking into account both gold energy levels. This formula shows that the dominant energy level under high-injection conditions is not the midgap gold acceptor, but the gold donor level. The high-low injection lifetime ratio calculated with the derived expression is in good agreement with measured values. This indicates that lifetime and capture cross section measurements are consistent with each other. The relation between gold concentration and high-injection lifetime is calculated. The relative density of the neutral and the negatively and positively charged traps is shown as a function of the carrier injection level.