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Defect Equilibration and Metastability in Low-Spin-Density a-Si:H

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2011

T. J. McMahon
T. J. McMahon*
Affiliation:
Solar Energy Research Institute, 1617 Cole Boulevard, Golden, CO 80401
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Abstract

To first order, the relaxation kinetics of thermally generated defects with spin observed in two differently prepared, 60-μm-thick undoped hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) films are consistent with a two-level system having a formation energy of 0.35 eV and an anneal barrier of 2.1 eV. However, closer examination of how relaxation depends on thermal treatments reveals the complexity that might be expected from a disordered material. For example, the stabilization of many spins quenched in from 260°C can be increased by annealing at an intermediate temperature: It appears that, some 260°C defects equilibrating further at 205°C will relax and become more locked-in configurationally than defects simply equilibrated at 260°C. Crossover of annealing data is the result. Crossover cannot be explained with two-level system approaches. Models in which a spin can be stabilized with alternate structural configurations must be invoked.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 219: Symposium A – Amorphous Silicon Technology - 1991 , 1991 , 57
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1991

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References

REFERENCES

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