Hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) is well known by its applications for solar energy conversion devices in a large scale. Hydrogen has the capability of terminating the dangling bonds in the amorphous silicon structure and improves the optical properties for effective utilization of the solar spectrum. With this, the quantification of the hydrogen content in a-Si:H is an important task in its characterization.

Auger electron spectroscopy induced by Ar+ ion bombardment (IAES) has been shown to be sensitive to the presence of hydrogen in a-Si:H [1,2]. The Si-L 2VV peak has a distinctively new shape as compared to electron- xcited. Auger were only some slight differences can be observed [3]. contribution to the IAES to that particular peak coming from de-excitations inside and outside the solid can be identified [4].

In this work, IEAS of the Si-L23VV peak were obtained for a-Si:H prepared by glow discharge, grystalline silicon, and crystalline silicon implanted with silicon ions. The relative differences in the spectra are characterized. In particular the changes in the relative amplitudes of the so-called “bulk-like” peak to the “atomic-like” peak as a fuction of hydrogen content are obtained.