This paper is proposed to extract the local carrier generation and recombination lifetime from forward characteristics of diode. The different geometry p-n junctions have been fabricated by a standard CMOS technology. Among a variety process steps, implantation step may generate defects. Therefore, the local implantation-induced defects have been studied from the defect activation energy, which has been obtained from the ratio of the local carrier generation and recombination lifetime. The forward current-voltage (I-V) and high frequency capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristics of p-n junctions have been measured in order to obtain the local carrier generation and recombination lifetime. The calculated activation energy from this method gave reasonable values comparing with the ones obtained from the Arrhenius plot of the reverse current. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.