Effects of photoexcitation on the current transport mechanism in amorphous indium selenide thin films

Abstract

The effect of photoexcitation on the current transport mechanism in amorphous indium selenide thin films was studied by means of dark and illuminated conductivity measurements as a function of temperature. Analysis of the dark electrical conductivity in the temperature range 110–320 K reveals behaviour characteristic of carriers excited to the conduction band and thermally assisted variable-range hopping (VRH) at the Fermi level above 280 K and below 220 K, respectively. In the temperature range 220–280 K, a mixed conduction mechanism was observed. A conductivity activation energy of ∼300 meV (above 280 K), a density of localised states (evaluated assuming a localisation length of 5 Å) of 1.08 × 10²¹ cm⁻³ eV⁻¹, an average hopping distance of 20.03 Å (at 120 K) and an average hopping energy of 27.64 meV have been determined from the dark electrical measurements. When the sample was exposed to illumination at a specific excitation flux and energy, the values of the conductivity activation energy, the average hopping energy and the average hopping range were significantly decreased. On the other hand, the density of localised states near the Fermi level increased when the light flux was increased. Such behaviour was attributed to a reversible Fermi level shift on photoexcitation.

Keywords:

• amorphous semiconductor
• conductivity
• hopping transport

Acknowledgement

I would like to express my gratitude and thanks to Professor E.A. Davis, Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy at the University of Cambridge, for his helpful and critical reading of the manuscript.