<p>We numerically and experimentally investigate the impact of photogenerated minority excess carriers on the plasma–elastic and total photoacoustic response of semiconductors. The frequency domain behavior of photoacoustic signals is examined as a function of the surface conditions, optical absorbance, and material thickness. For a visible-light excitation, distinct peak-like features in the plasma–elastic amplitude emerge at high modulation frequencies and for thin enough samples. These trends are attributed to carrier density asymmetries between the illuminated and non-illuminated surfaces. These findings highlight the key role of carrier dynamics in shaping plasma–elastic coupling to optimize and interpret photoacoustic measurements in semiconductor characterization.</p>