Method of computerized glow curve deconvolution for analysing thermoluminescence

The conventional worldwide accepted method of computerized glow curve deconvolution based on the general order kinetics formalism has two fatal defects in systems where the trapping levels (two or more) have non-zero retrapping probability. The first one is ignoring the thermal connectivity between thermoluminescence (TL) peaks. This arises from the fact that under such a situation electrons trapped at one trapping level, once activated, can be retrapped in another thermally connected level via the conduction band during the recording of the glow curve. The other is the impossibility of obtaining a global minimum, in fitting the experimental TL with the theoretical one with existing techniques. This paper aims to provide answers to these defects. The first one can be overcome by resorting to rigorous analysis using appropriate mathematical rate equations describing the flow of charge carriers. Though the second defect cannot be overcome completely, one can obtain a reasonable fit, which may not be unique. The algorithm is tested for synthetic as well as experimental glow curves.