Electron Spin Resonance of Deuterium-Related Dangling Bonds in Deuterated Amorphous Silicon

Abstract

Electron spin resonance (ESR) measurements in deuterated amorphous silicon (a-Si:D) have been carried out to elucidate the existence of deuterium-related dangling bonds, using two types of a-Si:D samples, i.e., samples prepared by reactive sputtering and glow-discharge (plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition) methods. The existence of deuterium-related dangling bonds is confirmed by deconvoluting the ESR spectrum into two components due to normal dangling bonds and deuterium-related dangling bonds and by obtaining the results consistent with those obtained from electron-nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) measurements in a-Si:D. Further, hyperfine structure due to Si-29 nucleus in a-Si:D has been resolved for normal dangling bonds, whose nature is also elucidated.