Semiconductor characterization techniques

Electrical characterization can be used to determine resistivity, carrier concentration, mobility, contact resistance, barrier height, depletion width, oxide charge, interface states, carrier lifetimes, and deep level impurities. • Two-point probe • Four-point probe • Differential Hall effect • Capacitance voltage profiling • Deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) • Electron beam-induced current • Drive-level capacitance profiling (DLCP) • Current–voltage characteristic (I–V) • Suns–VOC (Pseudo I–V) • Photoconductance decay (PCD) == Optical characterization techniques ==

• Microscopy • Ellipsometry • Photoluminescence • Electroluminescence • Absorption or transmission spectroscopy • Raman spectroscopy • Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy • Reflectance modulation • Cathodoluminescence == Physical and chemical characterization techniques ==

• Electron beam techniques • Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) • Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) • Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) • Electron microprobe (EMP) • Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) • Ion beam techniques • Sputtering • Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) • Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) • X-ray techniques • X-ray fluorescence (XRF) • X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) • X-ray diffraction (XRD) • X-ray topography • Neutron activation analysis (NAA) • Chemical etching == Future characterization methods ==

Many of these techniques have been perfected for silicon, making it the most studied semiconductor material. This is a result of silicon's affordability and prominent use in computing. As other fields such as power electronics, LED devices, and photovoltaics develop, characterization of a variety of alternative materials (including organic semiconductors) will continue to increase in importance. Many existing characterization methods will need to be adapted to accommodate the peculiarities of these new materials. == References ==