Transmission and absorption based photoacoustic methods of determination of the optical absorption spectra of Si samples - Comparison

This paper is a comparison of two photoacoustic methods of determination of the optical absorption coefficient spectra of semiconductors illustrated with results obtained from Si samples. It presents experimental transmission and absorption photoacoustic spectra of Si samples as also the appropriate models leading to the determination of optical absorption coefficient spectra. The idea and the experimental set-up of the analyzed methods are presented in the paper too. From the fitting procedure of theoretical characteristics to experimental transmission and absorption photoacoustic spectra and after computations of the optical absorption coefficient spectra three components of the optical absorption coefficient spectra of Si samples were identified i.e. band to band transitions, Urbach tail and free carrier absorption. Their parameters are given and discussed in the paper. At the end the advantages and disadvantages of both methods are discussed. To the best of our knowledge, no such proof of the correctness of the PA method of determination of optical absorption spectra has been done. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.