Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 February 2011
A successful application for a-Si:H is as the photosensor in a liquid crystal optically addressed spatial light modulator (OASLM). We analyze the response time of an a-Si:H p-i-n photodiode in a “pseudo-OALSM,” in which the liquid crystal is replaced by an equivalent capacitor, under both forward and reverse bias. Under reverse bias the two important effects are the photocurrent response time, and residual trapped charge. Under forward bias the mechanism shifts from double injection regimes to ohmic transport as a function of voltage. We relate these characteristics to the operation of an OASLM.