Detecting striations via the lateral photovoltage scanning method without screening effect

Abstract The lateral photovoltage scanning method (LPS) detects doping inhomogeneities in semiconductors such as Si, Ge and $${\hbox {Si}_{\hbox {x}}\hbox {Ge}_{1-\hbox {x}}}$$ Si x Ge 1 - x in a cheap, fast and nondestructive manner. LPS relies on the bulk photovoltaic effect and thus can detect any physical quantity affecting the band profiles of the sample. LPS finite volume simulation using commercial software suffer from long simulation times and convergence instabilities. We present here an open-source finite volume simulation for a 2D Si sample using the simulator. For low injection conditions we show that the LPS voltage is proportional to the doping gradient. For higher injection conditions, we directly show how the LPS voltage and the doping gradient differ and link the physical effect of lower local resolution to the screening effect. Previously, the loss of local resolution was assumed to be only connected to the enlargement of the excess charge carrier distribution.