Collection efficiencies greater than unity by electron or hole gating in a-Si:H p-i-n diodes

J.H. Zollondz, C. Main, S. Reynolds

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter (peer-reviewed)

    1 Citation (Scopus)

    Abstract

    We report measured electron and hole gating in thick a-Si:H (3.5 µm) p-i-n diodes under reverse bias conditions. Previous publications have shown very high collection efficiency values for electron gating (p-side bias, n-side probe) of up to 50 (i.e. 5000%) for measured and simulated data and predictions of up to 400 (i.e. 40000%) from simulations. Reversing the usual sides of illumination for (electron) gating a situation can be created where, by n-side bias and p-side probe illumination, holes can be gated to travel through the sample to be collected at the contact. Even though the holes have much lower mobility, by this process we can still obtain collection efficiencies greater than unity. This measurement is more difficult because of unwanted illumination by stray bias beam photons on the more sensitive p-side, caused by reflections within the apparatus. Simulation of this situation corroborates qualitatively the measured data. A wide ranging study of the gating phenomenon in relation to different incident wavelengths and photon fluxes for bias and probe beam is reported. We present comparisons of electron and hole gating by measurement and simulation and explain the phenomenon for both electron and hole gating in terms of field changes near to the incident bias interface.
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationAmorphous and Heterogeneous Silicon Thin Films 1999
    EditorsH. M. Branz, R. W. Collins, S. Guha, H. Okamoto, R. Schropp
    PublisherMaterials Research Society
    Volume557
    ISBN (Print)9781558994645
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1999

    Publication series

    NameMRS Symposium Proceedings Series
    Volume557

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