The temperature dependence f photoconductivity in a-Si

The photoconductivity and its dependence on light intensity have been investigated in a-Si as a function of temperature between 100 and 500 K. In most experiments a photon energy of 2 eV was used. Specimens were deposited on to a substrate held at a temperature between 300 and 600 K by the r.f. decomposition of silane. Graphs of the photocurrent versus 1/T show a photoconductive maximum and the general features of the curves are similar to those found for the chalcogenide glasses. The main emphasis of the paper lies in the interpretation of the results in the light of the information on transport properties and the density of state distribution obtained from drift mobility and field effect experiments. It is shown that recombination takes place predominantly between two groups of localized states, which have been identified in the previous work. The initial state at ?_A is situated about 0.18 eV below ge_C in the electron tail states, the final state lies in a density of state maximum, 0.4 eV above ?_V. Above about 250 K, the photocurrent is carried by electrons in extended states, but below this temperature transport is by phonon assisted hopping through states near ?_A. A recombination process involving two states of a structural defect centre is discussed on the basis of the results and appears to be a feasible interpretation.