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Electrical Characterization of Semiconductor Materials and Devices

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Springer Handbook of Electronic and Photonic Materials

Part of the book series: Springer Handbooks ((SHB))

Abstract

Semiconductor materials and devices continue to occupy a preeminent technological position due to their importance when building integrated electronic systems used in a wide range of applications from computers, cell-phones, personal digital assistants, digital cameras and electronic entertainment systems, to electronic instrumentation for medical diagnositics and environmental monitoring. Key ingredients of this technological dominance have been the rapid advances made in the quality and processing of materials – semiconductors, conductors and dielectrics – which have given metal oxide semiconductor device technology its important characteristics of negligible standby power dissipation, good input–output isolation, surface potential control and reliable operation. However, when assessing material quality and device reliability, it is important to have fast, nondestructive, accurate and easy-to-use electrical characterization techniques available, so that important parameters such as carrier doping density, type and mobility of carriers, interface quality, oxide trap density, semiconductor bulk defect density, contact and other parasitic resistances and oxide electrical integrity can be determined. This chapter describes some of the more widely employed and popular techniques that are used to determine these important parameters. The techniques presented in this chapter range in both complexity and test structure requirements from simple current–voltage measurements to more sophisticated low-frequency noise, charge pumping and deep-level transient spectroscopy techniques.

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Abbreviations

AFM:

atomic force microscopy

BJT:

bipolar junction transistor

CCD:

charge-coupled device

CKR:

cross Kelvin resistor

CMOS:

complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor

CP:

charge pumping

CR-DLTS:

computed radiography deep level transient spectroscopy

CR:

computed radiography

DC:

direct current

DLTS:

deep level transient spectroscopy

DUT:

device under test

FET:

field effect transistor

HF:

high-frequency

JFET:

junction field-effect transistors

KCR:

Kelvin contact resistance

LDD:

lightly doped drain

LF:

low-frequency

MESFET:

metal-semiconductor field-effect transistor

MOS:

metal/oxide/semiconductor

MOSFET:

metal/oxide/semiconductor field effect transistor

MS:

metal–semiconductor

PE:

polysilicon emitter

QHE:

quantum Hall effect

RTS:

random telegraph signal

SOI:

silicon-on-insulator

SSRM:

scanning spreading resistance microscopy

TLM:

transmission line measurement

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (CRL 226), McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, ON L8S 4K1, Hamilton, Canada

    M. Deen Prof.

  2. Centre dʼElectronique et de Microoptoélectronique de Montpellier, Université Montpellier 2/CEM2-cc084, Place E. Bataillon, 34095, Montpellier, France

    Fabien Pascal

Authors
  1. M. Deen Prof.
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  2. Fabien Pascal
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Correspondence to M. Deen Prof. or Fabien Pascal .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, 57 Campus Drive, S7N 5A9, Saskatoon, SK, Canada

    Safa Kasap Prof.

  2. Materials Team Leader, SELEX Sensors and Airborne Systems Infrared Ltd., Millbrook Industrial Estate, PO Box 217, SO15 0EG, Southampton, Hampshire, UK

    Peter Capper Dr.

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Deen, M., Pascal, F. (2006). Electrical Characterization of Semiconductor Materials and Devices. In: Kasap, S., Capper, P. (eds) Springer Handbook of Electronic and Photonic Materials. Springer Handbooks. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-29185-7_20

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