THE PROPOSED PROGRAM IS DIRECTED TOWARDS THE "IN SITU" MEASUREMENT OF MINORITY-CARRIER LIFETIMES IN SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES BY THE APPLICATION OF ELECTRO-OPTICAL BIREFRINGENCE RELATION SPECTROSCOPY.

THE PROPOSED PROGRAM IS DIRECTED TOWARDS THE "IN SITU" MEASUREMENT OF MINORITY-CARRIER LIFETIMES IN SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES BY THE APPLICATION OF ELECTRO-OPTICAL BIREFRINGENCE RELATION SPECTROSCOPY. THIS PROPOSED TECHNIQUE IS BASED UPON CHANGES THAT OCCUR IN OPTICAL PHASE RETARDATION UPON THE INTERACTION OF LIGHT WITH SEMICONDUCTOR INTERFACES. THEOPTICAL RETARDATION OR BIREFRINGENCE EFFECT IS INFLUENCED BYTHE ELECTRIC FIELD PRESENT AT THIS INTERFACE. THIS IS ANALOGOUS TO THE KERR AND POCKEL EFFECTS PREVIOUSLY OBSERVEDIN ELECTRO-OPTICAL MATERIALS. THE MINORITY-CARRIER LIFETIMEWILL BE MEASURED FROM THE RELAXATION OF THE BIREFRINGENCE SIGNAL UPON EQUILIBRATION OF THE BAND BENDING AND WILL BE PERFORMED BY EITHER THE APPLICATION OF VOLTAGE TRANSIENTS ORUPON CARRIER GENERATION BY A LASER PULSE USING A TUNABLE DYELASER. CANDIDATE SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS TO BE INVESTIGATEDIN THE COURSE OF THIS PROGRAM WILL BE SELECTED FROM GAP, GAAS, AND CDS. CHANGES IN THE MINORITY-CARRIER LIFETIME UPON MODIFICATION AND TREATMENT OF THESE SEMICONDUCTOR INTERFACES WILL BE DETERMINED IN THE COURSE OF THIS PROGRAM USING THIS TECHNIQUE.