Influence of deposition conditions on the 1/f noise in hydrogenated amorphous silicon

The electronic properties of a series of n-type doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) films grown with deposition rates ranging from 2 angstrom/s to 33 angstrom/s have been studied. Infrared absorption spectroscopy shows an increase in Si-H₂ content with deposition rate, concurrent with a decreasing conductivity, increasing thermal equilibration relaxation time, and increasing disorder at the mobility edge as measured by the difference in thermopower and dark conductivity activation energies. The current 1/f noise properties become highly nonstationary, with increased variability and inapplicability of statistical analysis as the deposition rate increases.