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Photoconductivity of Diamond-Like Carbon

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2011

A. Hie
Affiliation:
Engineering Department, Cambridge University, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
N. Conway
Affiliation:
Engineering Department, Cambridge University, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
B. Kleinsorge
Affiliation:
Engineering Department, Cambridge University, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
M. Rattier
Affiliation:
Engineering Department, Cambridge University, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
J. Robertson
Affiliation:
Engineering Department, Cambridge University, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
W. I. Milne
Affiliation:
Engineering Department, Cambridge University, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
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Abstract

We have studied the photoconductivity in pure tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) and hydrogenated tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C:H). Good photoconductive properties are demonstrated for ta-C:H, showing that the hydrogenated form of ta-C is of a higher electronic quality. Transport and recombination parameters are derived. Ta-C:H are low mobility solids with a μτ product of the order of 10−12 cm2 V−1 and a recombination time τr of about 10−7 s. At low energy excitation, the photoconductivity shows a sublinear dependence on the light intensity over a wide temperature range. The relationship between the photoconductivity and the density of spin defect centers is discussed. UV light is used to excite carriers into the extended states. Competitive recombination centers may be involved at high excitation energy.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1998

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References

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