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Identification of Vacancy-Like Defects in High-Rate Grown a-Si Before and After Light Soaking by Vepas

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2011

X. Zou
Affiliation:
Department of Electronic Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Y. C. Chan
Affiliation:
Department of Electronic Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
D. P. Webb
Affiliation:
Department of Electronic Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Y. W. Lam
Affiliation:
Department of Electronic Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
S. H. Lin
Affiliation:
Department of Electronic Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
F. Y. M. Chan
Affiliation:
Department of Electronic Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Y. F. Hu
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong
X. Weng
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong
C. D. Beling
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong
S. Fung
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong
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Abstract

We show how positron annihilation can distinguish vacancies in undoped hydrogenated amorphous silicon by performing Variable Energy Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy experiments before and after light soaking. We find that vacancy clusters, di-vacancies and a new type of single vacancies are created in undoped as-grown a-Si:H thin film by light illumination. The fact that the vacancy clusters are eliminated by the thermal annealing suggests that the Staebler-Wronski effect is closely related to vacancy clusters in a-Si:H material. The creation of vacancy clusters and redistribution of di-vacancies and even single vacancies probably result in photo-induced structural changes in this material.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1998

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References

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