Characterisation of AlGaN MSM by Light Beam Induced Current technique

The influence of the grain structure on the performance of AlGaN MSM detector structures was examined by Light Beam Induced Current (LBIC) technique. LBIC is a mapping technique in which the generated photocurrent is measured for each position of the scanning light beam. Estimated values for the effective carrier collection regions between contact electrodes in AlGaN MSM structures are hundreds of nanometers. A non-uniformity of the carrier distribution was observed. Regions, where the measured signal was one order of magnitude larger than the average signal level, were also observed. LBIC method was applied for investigation of layer quality and for optimisation of MSM detectors. (copyright 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)