Definition
The characteristic average time an excess electron or hole remains in a semiconductor before recombining.
Application
Used to assess semiconductor material quality, recombination behavior and defect density, and to model diodes, bipolar devices, photodetectors, solar cells and other structures whose performance depends on excess-carrier transport.
Related search terms
Minority-carrier lifetime; excess-carrier lifetime
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Related concepts
Evidence and further reading
- Evidence from nist.govhttps://www.nist.gov/laboratories/tools-instruments/photovoltaic-characterization-laboratory
- Evidence from nist.govhttps://www.nist.gov/publications/minority-carrier-dynamics-semiconductors-probed-two-photon-microscopy