Development of a TOF measurement system of charge carrier dynamics in diamond thin films using a UV pulsed laser

A fast TOF measurement system with 150 ps time resolution for transport behavior of free charge carriers in an intrinsic diamond film by using a UV pulsed laser was developed. The 213 nm UV laser light narrowed to approximately 80 μm widths could locally create hole–electron pairs in selected locations on a diamond film between two parallel electrodes on the surface. This system measured accurate charge transport characteristics in a diamond film, because created charge carriers moved in a part of the diamond film where they did not get any influence from the laser irradiation. Diamond samples used for verification of the TOF system were intrinsic CVD diamond films with thickness between 4 and 10 μm grown on HP/HT diamond substrates. Transit time of holes for one diamond film was 4.7 ns with a traverse distance of 250 μm. The local irradiation of laser made it possible to measure transport characteristics of electrons and holes separately. In addition, it substantially reduced the influence of photoelectron, because the laser beam did not irradiate electrodes. Through several examinations, excellent reliability of the TOF system was confirmed.