A linear relationship between the Hall carrier concentration and the effective absorption coefficient measured by means of photothermal radiometry in IR semi-transparent n-type CdMgSe mixed crystals

In this work we demonstrate the ability to measure the effective infrared absorption coefficient in semiconductors by a photothermal infrared radiometry (PTR) experiment, and its correlation with the Hall carrier concentration. The amplitude and phase of the PTR signal were measured for Cd-1-xMgxSe mixed crystals, with the magnesium content varying from x = 0 to x = 0.15. The PTR experiments were performed at room temperature in thermal reflection and transmission configurations using a mercury cadmium telluride infrared detector. The PTR data were analyzed in the frame of the one-dimensional heat transport model for infrared semi-transparent crystals. Based on the variation of the normalized PTR phase and amplitude on the modulation frequency, the thermal diffusivity and the effective infrared absorption coefficient were obtained by fitting the theoretical expression to experimental data and compared with the Hall carrier concentration determined by supplementary Hall experiments. A linear relationship between the effective infrared absorption coefficient and the Hall carrier concentration was found which is explained in the frame of the Drude theory. The uncertainty of the measured slope was 6%. The value of the slope depends on (1) the sample IR absorption spectrum and (2) the spectral range of the infrared detector. It has to be pointed out that this method is suitable for use in an industrial environment for a fast and contactless carrier concentration measurement. This method can be used for the characterization of other semiconductors after a calibration procedure is carried out. In addition, the PTR technique yields information on the thermal properties in the same experiment.