Minority carrier lifetime is a term used in semiconductor physics to describe the amount of time that minority carriers, which are less abundant than majority carriers, spend within a material. Synonyms for this term may include minority carrier decay time or minority carrier recombination time. These phrases refer to the same concept as minority carrier lifetime and are used interchangeably. The measurement of minority carrier lifetime is essential to understanding the efficiency and performance of semiconductor devices. By increasing minority carrier lifetime, semiconductors can become more efficient and effective, leading to significant improvements in various technological industries.