Electronic properties of microcrystalline silicon investigated by electron spin resonance and transport measurements

ABSTRACTThe effect of micro-doping, defect creation, and non-steady state occupation through optical transitions on the electron spin resonance signals found in undoped and weakly doped microcrystalline silicon with a high degree of crystallinity is investigated. The experimental results are in agreement with the assignment of the resonance at g=1.9983 to conduction electrons in the crystalline grains and the resonanccs around g=2.0052 to dangling bonds in the remaining amorphous phase and at the grain boundaries. The simultaneous presence of both resonances can result from a large conduction band offset between crystalline grains and grain boundaries or the amorphous phase. The presence of conduction electron spin resonance in compensated and even p-type material points also to potential fluctuations. Free electrons in interconnected crystalline grains are in agreement with the weakly activated transport found in µc-Si:H at low temperatures.

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Transport and electrically detected electron spin resonance of microcrystalline silicon before and after electron irradiation

Physical Review B ◽

10.1103/physrevb.65.165212 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 65 (16) ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

W. Bronner ◽

M. Mehring ◽

R. Brüggemann

Keyword(s):

Electron Spin Resonance ◽

Electron Spin ◽

Electron Irradiation ◽

Microcrystalline Silicon ◽

Spin Resonance ◽

Before And After

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Defect and Tail States in Microcrystalline Silicon investigated by pulsed ESR

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/proc-609-a27.3 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 609 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

P. Kanschat ◽

H. Mell ◽

K. Lips ◽

W. Fuhs

Keyword(s):

Electron Spin Resonance ◽

Detailed Analysis ◽

Electron Spin ◽

Qualitative Model ◽

Dangling Bond ◽

Microcrystalline Silicon ◽

Band Tail ◽

Spin Resonance ◽

Donor States ◽

Broad Structure

ABSTRACTWe report on a detailed analysis of paramagnetic states in a doping series of microcrystalline silicon, μc-Si:H, by pulsed electron spin resonance. We identify two dangling bond like structures at g = 2.0052 (db1) and g = 2.0043 (db2). Whereas db1 is evenly distributed in the gap, the db2 state is found to be localized in the lower part of the gap. The CE resonance at g ≈ 1.998 is assigned to electrons in conduction band tail states. In p-doped samples, we observe a broad structure CH at g ≈ 2.08 which we identify with holes trapped in valence band tail states. It is shown that the CH state behaves very similar on illumination as the CE resonance. In n-type samples a pair of hyperfine split lines (A ≈ 11 mT) is found which apparently does not originate from 31P-donor states. On the basis of our results we propose a qualitative model for paramagnetic states in μc-Si:H.

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Universal relationship between sample dimensions and cooperative phenomena: Effects of fractal dimension on electronic properties of high-TC cuprate observed using electron spin resonance

Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics ◽

10.1039/d1cp04709d ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Toshio Naito ◽

Yoshiaki Fukuda

Keyword(s):

Fractal Dimension ◽

Electron Spin Resonance ◽

Electronic Properties ◽

Nanostructured Materials ◽

Electron Spin ◽

Bulk Properties ◽

High Tc ◽

Cooperative Phenomena ◽

Spin Resonance ◽

Universal Relationship

As demonstrated by the unique electronic properties of nanostructured materials, which are qualitatively different from the bulk properties of the same materials, there should be general relationship between dimensions of...

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Photocarrier Recombination in Microcrystalline Silicon Studied by Light Induced Electron Spin Resonance Transients

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/proc-452-827 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 452 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

J. Müller ◽

F. Finger ◽

C. Malten ◽

H. Wagner

Keyword(s):

Electron Spin Resonance ◽

Electron Spin ◽

Doping Level ◽

Infrared Light ◽

Microcrystalline Silicon ◽

Excitation Energies ◽

Time Resolved ◽

Dark Light ◽

Spin Resonance ◽

Initial Excitation

AbstractTo get information on the density of states distribution and the photocarrier recombination in microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H), samples with various amounts of n- and p-type doping are studied with electron spin resonance (ESR) and stationary and time-resolved light induced ESR. The intensity of the dark ESR signals from dangling bonds (DB) and conduction electrons (CESR) is investigated as a function of the doping level. The DB signal has a flat distribution over a wide doping range while the CESR signal strongly increases with n-type doping. Upon illumination with white or infrared light both resonances are enhanced with an intensity that depends on the doping level. The decay of the light induced signal and the dependence in time and intensity of the residual signal on different initial excitation energies and dark/light -sequences is studied. The results are discussed with a schematic band diagram for μc-Si:H. The existence of a potential barrier is proposed which spatially separates photogenerated carriers. A large band-offset between crystalline and disordered regions is further suggested.

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Atmospheric aging and light-induced degradation of amorphous and nanostructured silicon using photoconductivity and electron spin resonance

Canadian Journal of Physics ◽

10.1139/cjp-2013-0573 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 92 (7/8) ◽

pp. 713-717 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Z.M. Saleh ◽

G. Nogay ◽

E. Ozkol ◽

G. Yilmaz ◽

M. Sagban ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Electron Spin Resonance ◽

Electron Spin ◽

Light Exposure ◽

Chemical Vapor ◽

Dark Conductivity ◽

Pure Oxygen ◽

Microcrystalline Silicon ◽

Nanostructured Silicon ◽

Dual Beam ◽

Spin Resonance

Previous studies indicate that the dark conductivity in amorphous and microcrystalline silicon may increase or decrease with exposure to deionized water (DIW) or pure oxygen at 80 °C but always decreases with light exposure. While the light-induced effect is linked to paramagnetic dangling bonds (Do), the origin of metastability in microcrystalline silicon remains unclear. In this study, we use steady-state photoconductivity (SSPC), dual-beam photoconductivity (DBP), and electron spin resonance (ESR), to study the behaviors under soaking in DIW and (or) pure oxygen at 80 °C and light-exposure of amorphous (a-Si:H) and nanostructured (nc-Si:H) silicon samples deposited in a capacitively coupled plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition system. Powders from thick samples of low and high crystallinity (Xc) peeling off large substrates were collected in quartz tubes for ESR measurements. Dark conductivity decreases upon exposure to pure oxygen at 80 °C for nc-Si:H but remains unchanged for a-Si:H. The ESR signal attributed to Do decreases with soaking in DIW for high and low crystallinity nc-Si:H but the effect is more significant for higher Xc. Changes in SSPC, DBP, and ESR are used to compare the degradation mechanisms because of O2 exposure and light for amorphous and nanostructured silicon.

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Adsorption and Oxidation Effects in Microcrystalline Silicon

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/proc-762-a2.5 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 762 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

T. Dylla ◽

F. Finger ◽

R. Carius

Keyword(s):

Electron Spin Resonance ◽

Surface Area ◽

Electron Spin ◽

Active Surface ◽

Mixed Phase ◽

Active Surface Area ◽

Conductivity Measurements ◽

Microcrystalline Silicon ◽

Spin Resonance ◽

Irreversible Effects

AbstractElectron spin resonance and conductivity measurements were used to study adsorption and oxidation effects on microcrystalline silicon with different structure compositions ranging from porous, highly crystalline to compact, mixed phase amorphous/crystalline. We found a correlation between active surface area and the magnitude of observed meta-stable and irreversible effects.

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