T. Ceponis

Pulsed current signals in capacitor type particle detectors

The problem of pulsed current signals in capacitor type sensors, due to drifting surface charge domain is considered for the analysis of the operational characteristics in photo- and particle-detectors. In this article, the models of the formation of the pulsed currents have been analyzed in vacuum and dielectric filled capacitor-like detectors. Injected charge drift regimes such as Shockley-Ramos-type (large charge drift) and free flight within Coulombs force field (small charge drift) are discussed. It has been shown that solutions of the injected charge drift in the vacuum gap capacitor can be employed to emulate charge drift over free path in dynamic solution of the problem with scattering. Pulsed current signals and charge drift in the detectors of the capacitor filled with dielectric type have been analyzed, where the bipolar charge injection and various drift regimes appear. The bipolar carrier drift transformation to a monopolar one is considered, after either electrons or holes, injected within the material, reach the external electrode. The impact of the dynamic capacitance and load resistance in the formation of drift current transients is highlighted. It has been illustrated that the synchronous action of carrier drift, trapping, generation and diffusion can lead to a vast variety of possible current pulse waveforms.

Impact of generation current on the evaluation of the depletion width in heavily irradiated Si detectors

The depletion width and full depletion condition are essential parameters in the search for radiation tolerant detector design and operational regimes. In this work, results of measurements of barrier capacitance by combining a transient technique for barrier evaluation by linearly increasing voltage (BELIV), with temperature dependent capacitance-voltage and current-voltage characteristics of neutron irradiated Si pin detectors are discussed. It is shown that the generation current, caused by a high density of radiation induced traps, distorts the capacitance measurements in heavily irradiated devices. There is no space charge sign inversion effect, however, and heavily irradiated detectors become fully depleted in equilibrium.

Simulations of Operation Dynamics of Different Type GaN Particle Sensors

The operation dynamics of the capacitor-type and PIN diode type detectors based on GaN have been simulated using the dynamic and drift-diffusion models. The drift-diffusion current simulations have been implemented by employing the software package Synopsys TCAD Sentaurus. The monopolar and bipolar drift regimes have been analyzed by using dynamic models based on the Shockley-Ramo theorem. The carrier multiplication processes determined by impact ionization have been considered in order to compensate carrier lifetime reduction due to introduction of radiation defects into GaN detector material.

Correlative analysis of the in situ changes of carrier decay and proton induced photoluminescence characteristics in chemical vapor deposition grown GaN

In order to evaluate carrier densities created by 1.6 MeV protons and to trace radiation damage of the 2.5 μm thick GaN epi-layers grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition technique, a correlation between the photoconductivity transients and the steady-state photoluminescence spectra have been examined. Comparison of luminescence spectra induced by proton beam and by laser pulse enabled us to evaluate the efficiency of a single proton generation being of 1 × 107 cm−3 per 1.6 MeV proton and 40 carrier pairs per micrometer of layer depth. This result indicates that GaN layers can be an efficient material for detection of particle flows. It has been demonstrated that GaN material can also be a rather efficient scintillating material within several wavelength ranges.

Currents Induced by Injected Charge in Junction Detectors

The problem of drifting charge-induced currents is considered in order to predict the pulsed operational characteristics in photo- and particle-detectors with a junction controlled active area. The direct analysis of the field changes induced by drifting charge in the abrupt junction devices with a plane-parallel geometry of finite area electrodes is presented. The problem is solved using the one-dimensional approach. The models of the formation of the induced pulsed currents have been analyzed for the regimes of partial and full depletion. The obtained solutions for the current density contain expressions of a velocity field dependence on the applied voltage, location of the injected surface charge domain and carrier capture parameters. The drift component of this current coincides with Ramos expression. It has been illustrated, that the synchronous action of carrier drift, trapping, generation and diffusion can lead to a vast variety of possible current pulse waveforms. Experimental illustrations of the current pulse variations determined by either the rather small or large carrier density within the photo-injected charge domain are presented, based on a study of Si detectors.

Barrier Evaluation by Linearly Increasing Voltage Technique Applied to Si Solar Cells and Irradiated Pin Diodes

Technique for barrier evaluation by measurements of current transients induced by linearly increasing voltage pulse based on analysis of barrier and diffusion capacitance changes is presented. The components of the barrier capacitance charging and generation/recombination currents are discussed. Different situations of the impact of deep center defects on barrier and diffusion capacitance changes are analyzed. Basics of the profiling of layered junction structures using the presented technique are discussed. Instrumentation for implementation of this technique and for investigations of the steady-state bias infra-red illumination and temperature dependent variations of the barrier capacitance charging and generation/recombination currents are described. Applications of this technique for the analysis of barrier quality in solar cells and particle detectors fabricated on silicon material are demonstrated.

Profiling of Current Transients in Capacitor Type Diamond Sensors.

The operational characteristics of capacitor-type detectors based on HPHT and CVD diamond have been investigated using perpendicular and parallel injection of carrier domain regimes. Simulations of the drift-diffusion current transients have been implemented by using dynamic models based on Shockley-Ramo’s theorem, under injection of localized surface domains and of bulk charge carriers. The bipolar drift-diffusion regimes have been analyzed for the photo-induced bulk domain (packet) of excess carriers. The surface charge formation and polarization effects dependent on detector biasing voltage have been revealed. The screening effects ascribed to surface charge and to dynamics of extraction of the injected bulk excess carrier domain have been separated and explained. The parameters of drift mobility of the electrons μe = 4000 cm2/Vs and holes μh = 3800 cm2/Vs have been evaluated for CVD diamond using the perpendicular profiling of currents. The coefficient of carrier ambipolar diffusion Da = 97 cm2/s and the carrier recombination lifetime τR,CVD ≌ 110 ns in CVD diamond were extracted by combining analysis of the transients of the sensor current and the microwave probed photoconductivity. The carrier trapping with inherent lifetime τR,HPHT ≌ 2 ns prevails in HPHT diamond.

Profiling of the injected charge drift current transients by cross-sectional scanning technique

The electric field distribution and charge drift currents in Si particle detectors are analyzed. Profiling of the injected charge drift current transients has been implemented by varying charge injection position within a cross-sectional boundary of the particle detector. The obtained profiles of the induction current density and duration of the injected charge drift pulses fit well the simulated current variations. Induction current transients have been interpreted by different stages of the bipolar and monopolar drift of the injected carriers. Profiles of the injected charge current transients registered in the non-irradiated and neutron irradiated Si diodes are compared. It has been shown that the mixed regime of the competing processes of drift, recombination, and diffusion appears in the measured current profiles on the irradiated samples. The impact of the avalanche effects can be ignored based on the investigations presented. It has been shown that even a simplified dynamic model enabled us to repr...

In situ variations of carrier decay and proton induced luminescence characteristics in polycrystalline CdS

Evolution of the microwave-probed photoconductivity transients and of the proton induced luminescence has simultaneously been examined in polycrystalline CdS layers evaporated in vacuum during exposure to a 1.6 MeV proton beam. The decrease of the intensity of luminescence peaked at 510 and 709 nm wavelengths and of values of the effective carrier lifetime has been correlated in dependence of proton irradiation fluence. The defect introduction rate has been evaluated by the comparative analysis of the laser and proton beam induced luminescence. The difference of a carrier pair generation mechanism inherent for light and for a proton beam has been revealed.

Room temperature spectroscopy of deep levels in junction structures using barrier capacitance charging current transients

A technique is presented for room temperature spectroscopy of deep levels in semiconductor devices based on measurements of current transients due to barrier capacitance charging. Spectroscopic measurements are obtained from a set of the barrier capacitance charging current transients modified by illumination pulses with wavelength between 1.5 and 10 μm. Deep levels with activation energy in the range between 0.24 and 0.56 eV have been revealed in thyristor and neutron irradiated particle detector structures by using this technique.