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Updated: Feb 16, 2026

Carrier Lifetime Measurements in Semiconductors through the Microwave Photoconductivity Decay Method
Published on: April 18, 2019
Photoexcited Muon Spin Spectroscopy: A New Method for Measuring Excess Carrier Lifetime in Bulk Silicon
K Yokoyama1,2, J S Lord2, J Miao1,3
1School of Physics and Astronomy, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
We have measured excess carrier lifetime in silicon using photoexcited muon spin spectroscopy. Positive muons implanted deep in a wafer can interact with the optically injected excess carriers and directly probe the bulk carrier lifetime while minimizing the effect from surface recombination. The method is based on the relaxation rate of muon spin asymmetry, which depends on the excess carrier density. The underlying microscopic mechanism has been understood by simulating the four-state muonium model in Si under illumination. We apply the technique to different injection levels and temperatures, and demonstrate its ability for injection- and temperature-dependent lifetime spectroscopy.
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