Investigation of the optical, temperature dependent free-carrier absorption of a bipolar electron-hole plasma in silicon

The IR absorption coefficient alpha(n) for lambda = 1.32 mu m of an electron-hole plasma in silicon at high injection conditions has been measured in dependence of temperature. It was found that the free-carrier absorption (FCA) coefficient alpha(n) for lambda = 1.32 mu m exhibits a slightly nonlinear dependence on the injected carrier concentration n, The final data were extracted from results obtained from FCA measurements combined with results from open-circuit voltage-decay (OCVD) experiments. For calibration of alpha specially designed p-i-n diode structures were used at current densities 1 less than or equal to j[A/cm(2)] less than or equal to 100. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.