Carrier transport in advanced semiconductor materials

In this chapter, the main scanning probe microscopy based methods to measure transport properties in advanced semiconductor materials are presented. The two major approaches to determine the majority carrier distribution, i. e., scanning capacitance microscopy (SCM) and scanning spreading resistance microscopy (SSRM), are illustrated, starting from their basic principles. The imaging capabilities for critical structures and the quantification of SCM and SSRM raw data to carrier concentration profiles are described and discussed. The determination of drift mobility in semiconductors by combined application of SCM and SSRM is illustrated considering quantum wells. The carrier transport through metal-semiconductor barriers by conductive atomic forcemicroscopy (CAFM) is reviewed. Finally, the charge transport in dielectrics is studied locally by CAFM, and a method for the direct determination of dielectric breakdown and Weibull statistics is illustrated.