This book presents the most recent important ideas and developments in the field of Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon and related materials. Each contribution is authored by an outstanding expert in that particular area.

This book gives the first systematic and complete survey of technology and application of amorphous silicon, a material with a huge potential in electronic applications. The book features contributions by world-wide leading researchers in this field.

This book presents the most recent important ideas and developments in the field of Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon and related materials. Each contribution is authored by an outstanding expert in that particular area.

Semiconductors made from amorphous silicon have recently become important for their commercial applications in optical and electronic devices including FAX machines, solar cells, and liquid crystal displays. Plasma Deposition of Amorphous Silicon-Based Materials is a timely, comprehensive reference book written by leading authorities in the field. This volume links the fundamental growth kinetics involving complex plasma chemistry with the resulting semiconductor film properties and the subsequent effect on the performance of the electronic devices produced. - Focuses on the plasma chemistry of amorphous silicon-based materials - Links fundamental growth kinetics with the resulting semiconductor film properties and performance of electronic devices produced - Features an international group of contributors - Provides the first comprehensive coverage of the subject, from deposition technology to materials characterization to applications and implementation in state-of-the-art devices

This volume contains written versions of the papers presented at the Second Inter national Conference on Amorphous and Crystalline Silicon Carbide and Related Materials (ICACSC 1988), which was held at Santa Clara University on Decem ber 15 and 16, 1988. The conference followed the First ICACSC held at Howard University, Washington DC, in December 1987 and continued to provide an in ternational forum for discussion and exchange of ideas and results covering the current status of research on SiC and related materials. ICACSC 1988 attracted 105 participants from five countries. The substantial increase in the number of papers compared with the previous year is an indication of the growing interest in this field. Of the 45 papers presented at the conference, 36 refereed manuscripts are included in this volume, while the remaining 9 appear as abstracts. The six invited papers provide detailed reviews of recent results on amorphous and crystalline silicon carbide materials and devices, as well as diamond thin films. The volume is divided into six parts, each covering an important theme of the conference.

This is a useful textbook for graduate students in the fields of solid state physics and chemistry as well as electronic engineering. Presenting the fundamentals of amorphous semiconductors clearly, it will be essential reading for young scientists intending to develop new preparation techniques for more ideal amorphous semiconductors e.g. a-Si: H, to fabricate stable and efficient solar cells and thin film transistors and new artificial amorphous materials such as multilayers for quantum devices.A large portion is devoted to the latest developments of amorphous semiconductors including electronic properties of a-Si: H, nature of weak bonds and gap states in a-Si: H, mechanisms for light-induced defect creation in a-Si: H and chalcogenides, quantum phenomena in multilayer fi

Today’s solar cell multi-GW market is dominated by crystalline silicon (c-Si) wafer technology, however new cell concepts are entering the market. One very promising solar cell design to answer these needs is the silicon hetero-junction solar cell, of which the emitter and back surface field are basically produced by a low temperature growth of ultra-thin layers of amorphous silicon. In this design, amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) constitutes both „emitter“ and „base-contact/back surface field“ on both sides of a thin crystalline silicon wafer-base (c-Si) where the electrons and holes are photogenerated; at the same time, a-Si:H passivates the c-Si surface. Recently, cell efficiencies above 23% have been demonstrated for such solar cells. In this book, the editors present an overview of the state-of-the-art in physics and technology of amorphous-crystalline heterostructure silicon solar cells. The heterojunction concept is introduced, processes and resulting properties of the materials used in the cell and their heterointerfaces are discussed and characterization techniques and simulation tools are presented.

Divided roughly into two parts, the book describes the physical properties and device applications of hydrogenated amorphous silicon. The first section is concerned with the atomic and electronic structure, and covers growth defects and doping and defect reactions. The emphasis is on the optical and electronic properties that result from the disordered structure. The second part of the book describes electronic conduction, recombination, interfaces, and multilayers. The special attribute of a-Si:H which makes it useful is the ability to deposit the material inexpensively over large areas, while retaining good semiconducting properties, and the final chapter discusses various applications and devices.

Photovoltaic technology has now developed to the extent that it is close to fulfilling the vision of a "solar-energy world," as devices based on this technology are becoming efficient, low-cost and durable. This book provides a comprehensive treatment of thin-film silicon, a prevalent PV material, in terms of its semiconductor nature, starting out with the physical properties, but concentrating on device applications. A special emphasis is given to amorphous silicon and microcrystalline silicon as photovoltaic materials, along with a model that allows these systems to be physically described in the simplest manner possible, thus allowing the student or scientist/engineer entering the field of thin-film electronics to master a few basic concepts that are distinct from those in the field of conventional semiconductors. The main part of the book deals with solar cells and modules by illustrating the basic functioning of these devices, along with their limitations, design optimization, testing and fabrication methods. Among the manufacturing processes discussed are plasma-assisted and hot-wire deposition, sputtering, and structuring techniques.

This comprehensive, detailed treatise on the physics and applications of the new emerging technology of amorphous semiconductors focuses on specific device research problems such as the optimization of device performance. The first part of the book presents hydrogenated amorphous silicon type alloys, whose applications include inexpensive solar cells, thin film transistors, image scanners, electrophotography, optical recording and gas sensors. The second part of the book discusses amorphous chalcogenides, whose applications include electrophotography, switching, and memory elements. This book will serve as an excellent reference source for solid state scientists and engineers, and as a useful self-contained introduction to the field for graduate students.