Studies of photodegradation in hydrogenated amorphous silicon

Clare, B.W., Cornish, J.C.L., Hefter, G., Jennings, P.J., Lund, C.P., Santjojo, D.J. and Talukder, M.O.G (1996) Studies of photodegradation in hydrogenated amorphous silicon. Thin Solid Films, 288 (1-2). pp. 76-82.

Abstract

IR absorption spectroscopy was used to study light-induced structural changes in hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) films. Our results suggest that illumination causes migration of H atoms from the interior of the film towards the illuminated surface. As a consequence, a transformation occurs in the bulk of the material leading to the formation of dangling bonds in the i-layer which could act as traps for minority carriers in solar cells. Using these results, we have formulated a model for the photodegradation of a-Si:H alloys.