INTRINSIC DEEP-DEFECT-RELATED RECOMBINATION PROCESS IN HYDROGENATED AMORPHOUS-SILICON

Intrinsic deep-defect-related recombination process has been investigated in a series of undoped hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) films grown under different deposition conditions. Steady-state photoconductivity (sigma(ph)) was measured as a function of deep-defect density N(d), Urbach energy E(u), and dark Fermi energy E(F). It was found that sigma(ph) strongly depends on these parameters while E(F) stays at the energy levels lower than 0.82 eV below E(c), but it is nearly independent of those if E(F) stays above 0.82 eV. A possible distribution of deep-defect-related recombination centers and recombination process has been suggested.