CURRENT-INDUCED DRIFT MECHANISM IN AMORPHOUS SINX-H THIN-FILM DIODES

It is shown that the drift in the current-voltage characteristics of silicon-rich amorphous silicon nitride metal-semiconductor-metal diodes can be explained by a mechanism whereby electron trapping centers are created via hole-electron recombination. A first order model which includes excitation of holes by hot electrons moving into the anode and recombination of electrons with holes trapped in the valence band tail is in good quantitative agreement with the measured dependencies between drift, device thickness, current density, time, and charge passed through the device. © 1994 American Institute of Physics.