Thermal Quenching of Photoconductivity and the Sign of Photocarriers in Doped a-Si:H

Abstract

ABSTRACTThermal quenching (TQ) of photoconductivity σp occurs when the demarkation level of minority carriers passes through recombination centers having small capture cross section for majority carriers compared to other centers present but normal cross section for minority carriers. The photoconductivity becomes superlinear with light intensity at the temperature of maximum TQ. We discovered TQ not only in n-type but also p-type a-Si:H. This cannot happen with the same centers unless the sign of the majority carriers changes. We present evidence that in p-type and undoped films majority carriers are electrons at T below TQ and holes above TQ. The nature of these special centers will be discussed.