Carrier Lifetime in Semiconductors with Band-Gap Widths Close to the Spin-Orbit Splitting Energies

Abstract

Expressions for the Auger- and radiative-recombination rates are derived in terms of Kane’s model for materials with a band-gap width close to the spin-orbit splitting energy, which is the case for InAs, InAsSb solid solutions, etc. Our results are compared with simplified expressions for recombination rates, frequently used in publications. It is shown that the nonparabolicity of the electronic structure should be taken into account in calculations of the recombination rates. As an example, the temperature dependences of the charge-carrier lifetimes governed by radiative and non-radiative processes are calculated for InAsSb solid solutions.