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Mechanisms for Metastability in Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 March 2011

R. Biswas,
Y.-P. Li and
B.C. Pan
R. Biswas
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Microelectronics Research Center and Ames Laboratory-USDOE, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011
Y.-P. Li
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Microelectronics Research Center and Ames Laboratory-USDOE, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011
B.C. Pan
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, People's Republic of China
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Abstract

We propose metastabilities in amorphous silicon fall into two classes. One class is the local changes of structure affecting a macroscopic fraction of sites. The other class is the metastable generation of dangling bonds with mid-gap states. The local metastability is explained by a new metastable state formed when H is flipped to the backside of the Si-H bond at monohydride sites. The dipole moment of this H-flip defect is larger and increases the infrared absorption. This H-flip defect accounts for large structural changes observed on light soaking including larger absorption and volume dilation. We propose a new model for the generation of metastable dangling bonds. The new ‘silicon network rebonding model’ involves breaking of weak silicon bonds and formation of isolated dangling bonds, through rebonding of the silicon network. Hydrogen motion is not involved in metastable defect formation. Defect formation proceeds by breaking weak silicon bonds and formation of dangling bond-floating bond pairs. The floating bonds migrate through the network and annihilate, producing isolated dangling bonds. This new model provides a new platform for understanding the atomistic origins of lightinduced degradation.

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References

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