Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy (DLTS) System And Method

Abstract

A computer-based deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) system (10) efficiently digitizes and analyzes capacitance and conductance transients acquired from a test material (13) by conventional DLTS methods as well as by several transient methods, including a covariance method of linear predictive modeling. A unique pseudo-logarithmic data storage scheme allows each transient to be tested at more than eleven different rates, permitting three to five decades of time constants τ to be observed during each thermal scan, thereby allowing high resolution of closely spaced defect energy levels. The system (10) comprises a sensor (12) for detecting capacitance and/or conductance transients, a digitizing mechanism (14) for digitizing the capacitance and/or conductance transients, preamplifiers (16a, 16b) for filtering, amplifying, and for forwarding the transients to the digitizing mechanism (14), a pulse generator (18) for supplying a filling pulse to the test material (13) in a cryostat (24), a trigger conditioner for coordinating the timing between the digitizing mechanism (14) and the pulse generator (18), and a temperature controller (26) for changing the temperature of the cryostat (24).