Defects in plasma-deposited a-Si: H

The relationships between hydrogen vibrational spectra, electron spin densities and refractive index are investigated for a range of plasma-deposited amorphous silicon-hydrogen alloys. Results are also presented on the morphology of thick films as shown by scanning electron microscopy. A model is proposed for the structural origin of defects in these alloys based on voids that grow perpendicular to the film surface and are associated with coupled SiH2 units.