Anneal Treatment to Reduce the Creation Rate of Light-Induced Metastable Defects in Device-Quality Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon

David C. Bobela, Howard M. Branz, Paul Stradins

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13 Scopus Citations

Abstract

We observe a dramatic reduction in the Staebler-Wronski metastable defect creation efficiency in device-quality films of hydrogenated amorphous silicon after they undergo a 20 min anneal treatment at 350 to 400 °C. After several hours of rapid degradation with a high intensity pulsed laser, there are about half as many total dangling bond defects in the annealed samples as in unannealed control samples. This reduction is observed in both 1.02-μm - and 0.22-μm -thick films, indicating it is not a surface-related artifact. The improved stability is likely caused by H motion, which restructures the Si-Si network and H-related nanovoids.

Original languageAmerican English
Article number201908
Number of pages3
JournalApplied Physics Letters
Volume98
Issue number20
DOIs
StatePublished - 16 May 2011

NREL Publication Number

  • NREL/JA-5200-50307

Keywords

  • defects
  • hydrogenated amorphous silicon
  • photodegradation

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