Definition and Characteristics of Deep-level Traps
– Deep-level traps are undesirable electronic defects in semiconductors.
– They are located deep within the band gap and require a large amount of energy to remove an electron or hole.
– Deep traps interfere with doping processes and can affect the operation of electronic devices.
– They shorten the non-radiative lifetime of charge carriers and facilitate recombination of minority carriers.
– Deep-level traps are not appreciated in opto-electronic devices due to their negative impact on efficiency and response time.
Effects of Deep-level Traps on Semiconductors
– Deep-level traps compensate the dominant charge carrier type in semiconductors.
– They can annihilate free electrons or electron holes, depending on which is more prevalent.
– Deep traps interfere with the operation of transistors, light-emitting diodes, and other electronic devices.
– They offer an intermediate state inside the band gap, affecting the device’s performance.
– The presence of deep-level traps can lead to poor efficiency and significant delays in response.
Chemical Elements that Produce Deep-level Defects in Silicon
– Iron, nickel, copper, gold, and silver are common elements that produce deep-level defects in silicon.
– Transition metals, such as iron and nickel, are known to cause this effect.
– Light metals like aluminum do not typically produce deep-level defects.
– The presence of these elements can contribute to the formation of deep-level traps in semiconductors.
– Surface states and crystallographic defects can also act as deep-level traps.
Impact of Deep-level Traps on Opto-electronic Devices
– Deep-level traps have adverse effects on the performance of opto-electronic devices.
– They can reduce efficiency and delay the response of these devices.
– The presence of deep traps can result in a shorter non-radiative lifetime of charge carriers.
– Through the Shockley-Read-Hall process, deep-level traps facilitate recombination of minority carriers.
– Opto-electronic devices strive to minimize the presence of deep-level traps for optimal performance.
Stub Articles and Categories Related to Deep-level Traps
– The article on deep-level traps is considered a stub in the field of electronics.
– Wikipedia encourages users to expand the article with more information.
– Similarly, the article on deep-level traps is also a stub in the field of optics.
– The lack of sources in the article from December 2009 is noted.
– Deep-level traps fall under categories such as optoelectronics, semiconductor properties, and semiconductor structures. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep-level_trap
Deep-level traps or deep-level defects are a generally undesirable type of electronic defect in semiconductors. They are "deep" in the sense that the energy required to remove an electron or hole from the trap to the valence or conduction band is much larger than the characteristic thermal energy kT, where k is the Boltzmann constant and T is the temperature. Deep traps interfere with more useful types of doping by compensating the dominant charge carrier type, annihilating either free electrons or electron holes depending on which is more prevalent. They also directly interfere with the operation of transistors, light-emitting diodes and other electronic and opto-electronic devices, by offering an intermediate state inside the band gap. Deep-level traps shorten the non-radiative life time of charge carriers, and—through the Shockley–Read–Hall (SRH) process—facilitate recombination of minority carriers, having adverse effects on the semiconductor device performance. Hence, deep-level traps are not appreciated in many opto-electronic devices as it may lead to poor efficiency and reasonably large delay in response.
Common chemical elements that produce deep-level defects in silicon include iron, nickel, copper, gold, and silver. In general, transition metals produce this effect, while light metals such as aluminium do not.
Surface states and crystallographic defects in the crystal lattice can also play role of deep-level traps.
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