Photoelectronic properties of hydrogenated amorphous silicon/silicon oxide heterostructures

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Abstract
A glow-discharge hydrogenated amorphous silicon/insulator heterostructure has been characterized by a range of measurements including optical absorption, temperature dependence of photo- and dark conductivity, internal photoemission, xerographic discharge, and spectral dependence of photoconductivity. Efficient injection of dark and photocarriers from amorphous hydrogenated silicon into, and transport through, relatively thick SiOx:N:H has been achieved. Unlike the conventional thermal oxide on Si, no significant energy barrier to injection is found in the plasma-deposited heterostructure. The use of the structure as a potential xerographic device is demonstrated. A mobility lifetime product as high as 6×10−10 cm2/V and a transport process with an activation energy of ∼0.3 eV is found for electrons in the SiOx:N:H films.