A Simplified Approach for Predicting Pulsed-Laser-Induced Carrier Generation in Semiconductor

Simplified analytic expressions are presented for calculating pulsed-laser induced charge generation in devices with collection volumes of any size. The expressions for charge generation by single-photon absorption for various limiting cases are applied to charge-collection measurements for a bulk Si photodiode, and single-event upsets in a 90-nm CMOS, silicon on insulator (SOI), static random-access memory (SRAM). Strong quantitative agreement between the simplified expressions, the full numerical calculations, and the experimental data serves to validate the analytical expressions. Furthermore, despite the complexity of determining charge deposited via two-photon absorption, the analytic expressions exhibit excellent agreement with full charge-generation simulations utilizing nonlinear-optical beam propagation software. These expressions therefore, represent a convenient and accurate method for estimating pulsed-laser induced charge generation in specified volumes, and are particularly relevant for two-photon absorption, which previously has required the use of complex numerical approaches.