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Determination of surface states distribution in a-Si:H using MOS tunnel Junctions

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Abstract

The measurement of the tunneling conductance and the ac conductance of a tunnelable MOS capacitor enables the determination of surface states distributions in semiconductors. Carrying out the measurement on hydrogenated amorphous silicon a-Si:H has revealed a non-uniform states distribution with a peak at about 0.45 eV below the conduction band edge. If the detected states are considered bulk states they appear to have a density of 1018 − 5×l018 cm−3 eV−1 at this peak. The agreement between the above results and states distributions obtained on a-Si:H alloys from other methods, and on materials prepared in various deposition systems, indicates that this peak is a universal property of these alloys. The latter conclusion is shown to be applicable for the determination of the doping efficiency in the alloys.

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Balberg, I. Determination of surface states distribution in a-Si:H using MOS tunnel Junctions. J. Electron. Mater. 9, 797–818 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02652897

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