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Hopping transport in doped co-deposited mixed-phase hydrogenated amorphous/nanocrystalline silicon thin films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 June 2011

L. R. Wienkes ,
C. Blackwell  and
J. Kakalios
L. R. Wienkes
Affiliation:
School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
C. Blackwell
Affiliation:
School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
J. Kakalios
Affiliation:
School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
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Abstract

Studies of the electronic transport properties of n-type doped hydrogenated amorphous/nanocrystalline silicon (a/nc-Si:H) films deposited in a dual-plasma co-deposition reactor are described. For these doped a/nc-Si:H, the conductivity increases monotonically for increasing crystal fractions up to 60% and displays marked deviations from a simple thermally activated temperature dependence. Analysis of the temperature dependence of the activation energy for these films finds that the dark conductivity is best described by a power-law temperature dependence, σ = σo (T/To)n where n = 1 – 4, suggesting multiphonon hopping as the main transport mechanism. These results suggest that electronic transport in mixed-phase films occurs through the a-Si:H matrix at lower nanocrystal concentrations and shifts to hopping conduction between clusters of nanocrystals at higher nanocrystal densities.

Keywords

electrical propertiesnanostructureSi
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1321: Symposium A – Amorphous and Polycrystalline Thin-Film Silicon Science and Technology , 2011 , mrss11-1321-a08-13
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2011

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References

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