Electrical characterization of minority carrier transport parameters in n-type heavily doped silicon

A recently proposed test structure has been used to characterize the minority carrier transport parameters of different n⁺ layers obtained with a variety of technologies. The measurements predict a lifetime value that is much lower than that reported in the literature. The consistency of some well-known bandgap-narrowing models is checked by analyzing the temperature dependence of the recombination velocity measured on heavily doped layers. All the measurements carried out on different wafers are consistent with a lifetime value that is much lower than that reported in literature and, to the first order, almost independent of the dopant atoms and the formation process of the layers.