Annealing kinetics of a-Si:H deposited by concentric-electrode rf glow discharge at room temperature

Abstract

The irreversible isothermal annealing of the as-deposited defects of hydrogenated amorphous silicon, a-Si:H, deposited at room temperature by concentric-electrode radio-frequency glow discharge is studied using dark and photoconductivity, space-charge limited current, and time-of-flight. The photoconductivity increases as a power law of the annealing time with exponent 0.8. The density of states at the Fermi level, measured by space-charge limited current, is inversely proportional to the annealing time. These results are compatible with bimolecular annealing kinetics. The dark conductivity obeys a Meyer-Nelder rule during the isothermal anneal.