[EBIC] Electron Beam Induced Current

Product Inquiry

A method to obtain information about the electric field structure inside the sample (junction structure of semiconductors).

By irradiating an electron beam within a SEM device, electron-hole pairs are generated in the sample. Normally, these pairs recombine and disappear, but if they are generated in regions with an internal electric field, such as a depletion layer, the carriers can be drifted by the internal electric field and extracted as a current. This current is referred to as EBIC (Electron Beam Induced Current), and by obtaining it alongside the SEM image, it is possible to visualize the position of the pn junction and the extent of the depletion layer. - Evaluation of pn junctions and crystal defects (dislocations, stacking faults, etc.) is possible. - By overlaying with the SEM image, the positions of the junctions and crystal defects can be identified.

basic information

■Overview By measuring the EBIC signal, information about the electric field structure inside the sample (the junction structure of semiconductors) can be obtained. It is sensitive to areas where the lifetime of minority carriers in the crystal is short, and it can also identify the locations of dislocations and stacking faults. ■Measurement Principle When an electron beam is irradiated onto the sample, electrons in the valence band are excited, generating electron-hole pairs. Normally, these electron-hole pairs recombine and disappear, but if there is an electric field inside the sample, they are accelerated by the field, resulting in a drift current.