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The Effect of Post-Deuteration on Metastability in a-Si:H

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 1993

N.H. Nickel ,
W.B. Jackson  and
C.C. Tsai
N.H. Nickel
Affiliation:
Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, 3333 Coyote Hill Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304
W.B. Jackson
Affiliation:
Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, 3333 Coyote Hill Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304
C.C. Tsai
Affiliation:
Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, 3333 Coyote Hill Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304
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Abstract

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon films were deuterated through a sequence of 1h exposures to a remote deuterium plasma at 350°C. The concentration profiles of hydrogen and deuterium were determined by SIMS at various times during the exposure sequence. The defect density in state A, after deuteration and after illumination with white light were determined using CPM measurements following each 1h exposure sequence. We find that post-deuteration does not alter the defect density in state A, change the Urbach edge, nor significantly alter metastable defect formation. Intense light soaking increases the defect density by about 5 × 10l6cm−3 independent of the total H + D concentration. These results suggest that D always enters the sample in pairs pinning the hydrogen chemical potential which supports the idea of a negative U system for hydrogen and deuterium. Despite an increase of Si-H bonds by as much as 3 × 1021cm−3, the annealed dangling bond density and the weak Si-Si bond density did not change.This suggests that the density of weak Si-Si bonds as well as the dangling bond density is determined by equilibration with strong Si-Si bonds through the interchange of H. The implications of these results for H bonding will be discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 297: Symposium A – Amorphous Silicon Technology - 1993 , 1993 , 261
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1993

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