Band-tail profiling in microcrystalline silicon by photoconductivity analysis

This article provides information about localized states in microcrystalline silicon which interact with carriers in the conduction band and it gives an account of their density-of-states profile. Analysis of the photogeneration-rate dependent photocurrent at different temperatures results in a value of the band tail parameter for an exponential band tail of 20 meV between about 0.18 and 0.28 eV below the conduction band. The overall profile is of hybrid form and is less steep at shallower and deeper energies. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.