What is the effective carrier lifetime?
Point lifetime
Performance Testing · Electrical & Electrochemical
Minority-Carrier Lifetime Measurement (MCLT)
Measure minority-carrier lifetime and recombination uniformity in semiconductor wafers and materials.
- Price
- from£60 per sample, excl. VAT
- Turnaround
- 10 working days Preparation and scope dependent
- Available platforms
- Semilab MCLT platform
- Typical outputs
- Effective lifetimeLifetime mapInjection-level response where selectedMeasurement and conditioning record
Why this service
What MCLT can help you understand
Minority-carrier lifetime reflects how long excess carriers persist before recombination. The selected transient or quasi-steady-state route depends on material, wafer finish, passivation, injection…
How uniform is lifetime across a wafer?
Wafer lifetime mapping
How do passivation, contamination or processing change recombination?
Injection or process comparison
Choose the scope
Start from the question, not the tool
The method, preparation route and reporting depth depend on what you need to decide.
Point lifetime
What is the effective carrier lifetime?
- Best used when
- What is the effective carrier lifetime?
- Typical result
- Effective lifetime
- Preparation note
- Declare biological hazards and confirm fixation, dehydration, temperature and disposal requirements.
Wafer lifetime mapping
How uniform is lifetime across a wafer?
- Best used when
- How uniform is lifetime across a wafer?
- Typical result
- Lifetime map
- Preparation note
- Confirm the applicable standard, dimensions, loading direction and number of replicates.
Injection or process comparison
How do passivation, contamination or processing change recombination?
- Best used when
- How do passivation, contamination or processing change recombination?
- Typical result
- Injection-level response where selected
- Preparation note
- Confirm power, connections, operating state, access restrictions and permitted disassembly.
Common outputs
A result package matched to the decision you need to make
Fields, conditions, processing and file formats are confirmed before work begins.
Effective lifetime reported with the agreed units, sample reference and measurement conditions.
Lifetime map supplied in a labelled format suitable for direct sample or condition comparison.
Injection-level response where selected provided with the processing basis and quality checks agreed during technical review.
Measurement and conditioning record included when selected in the confirmed reporting scope.
Sample requirements
What to provide before work begins
Provide representative, clearly labelled samples and identify the decision, feature or comparison that matters.
| Suitable sample | Submission requirement | Planning note |
|---|---|---|
| Biological / soft material | Provide fixed, preserved or otherwise stabilised material in the agreed container and medium. | Declare biological hazards and confirm fixation, dehydration, temperature and disposal requirements. |
| Test coupon / specimen | Provide labelled specimens prepared to the agreed geometry, orientation and surface condition. | Confirm the applicable standard, dimensions, loading direction and number of replicates. |
| Device / assembly | Provide a complete labelled device or assembly with drawings, interfaces and operating limits. | Confirm power, connections, operating state, access restrictions and permitted disassembly. |
Objective: state the decision, comparison or acceptance criterion the work must support.
Handling and access: declare hazards, instability, confidentiality, file constraints or special logistics before dispatch or transfer.
Questions and answers
Common planning decisions
Short answers to issues that can change preparation, scope, timing or interpretation.
Does the result represent bulk lifetime?
Not automatically. Most measurements report effective lifetime, which can include surface recombination.
What is the typical turnaround?
Typical turnaround is 10 working days after sample acceptance and method confirmation.
Configure the service
Send the information needed to scope MCLT correctly
- Sample form, material, dimensions and quantity
- Feature or decision the result must address
- Required comparison, acceptance criterion or reference
- Preferred output and reporting depth