Abstract
We probe near-surface regions in hydrogenated amorphous andmicrocrystalline
silicon by recording the transient photocurrent after application of a green laser
pulse with short absorption depth through the glass-substrate/silicon interface.
Depending on the spatial defect inhomogeneity close to the illuminated
surface the transient photocurrent shows a different decay behaviour under
strongly absorbed green light as compared with more uniformly absorbed red
illumination. We apply a Fourier transform technique to the photocurrent decay,
which reveals spatial inhomogeneities in the deep-defect density in amorphous
silicon. For a highly crystalline sample of microcrystalline silicon we find depth
homogeneity in the electronic properties, in agreement with information from
structural investigations.
silicon by recording the transient photocurrent after application of a green laser
pulse with short absorption depth through the glass-substrate/silicon interface.
Depending on the spatial defect inhomogeneity close to the illuminated
surface the transient photocurrent shows a different decay behaviour under
strongly absorbed green light as compared with more uniformly absorbed red
illumination. We apply a Fourier transform technique to the photocurrent decay,
which reveals spatial inhomogeneities in the deep-defect density in amorphous
silicon. For a highly crystalline sample of microcrystalline silicon we find depth
homogeneity in the electronic properties, in agreement with information from
structural investigations.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 6909-6915 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter |
| Volume | 14 |
| Issue number | 28 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 22 Jul 2002 |