Observation of slow dangling-bond relaxation in<i>p</i>-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon

Abstract

Using junction-capacitance methods, we study the thermal charge emission of holes trapped in the dangling-bond defect D of p-type a-Si:H. Over a significant temperature range, we find a linear temperature-independent relation between emission time and the residence time of the hole on the D defect. We attribute this characteristic to a structural-relaxation process that is slow in disordered materials.