Abstract
Amorphous silicon films prepared by dc glow discharge of silane on room‐temperature substrates darken when exposed to a focused laser beam. The process is primarily thermal, has an activation energy of ∼1 eV, and is accompanied by the desorption of hydrogen. It also affects the etch rate in basic solutions. A bleaching effect, not reported before, is seen at low exposures. All coloration changes are permanent. Possible applications for optical storage of information are discussed.

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