Light-Induced Defects in Semiconductors

This book covers electronic and structural properties of light-induced defects, light-induced defect creation processes, and related phenomena in crystalline, amorphous, and microcrystalline semiconductors. It provides a theoretical treatment of recombination-enhanced defect reaction in crystalline semiconductors, particularly GaAs and related materials. It also discusses experimental evidence for this phenomenon. Light-induced defect creation in hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) is described in more detail, including its mechanism and experimental results. The subjects treated by the book are important issues from the viewpoints of physics and applications.

Introduction. Crystalline Semiconductors. Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon. Hydrogenated Microcrystalline Silicon. Amorphous Chalcogenides. Appendix. Bibliography. Index.

Kazuo Morigaki is professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo, Japan. He received his PhD in physics from Osaka University, Japan, in 1959. His current areas of interest are light-induced phenomena and electronic states of defects in amorphous and microcrystalline silicon.

Harumi Hikita is professor at the Physics Laboratory, Mekai University, Japan. He received his PhD in physics from Tokai University, Japan, in 1993. His current interests focus on light-induced phenomena and hydrogen motion in hydrogenated amorphous silicon.

Chisato Ogihara is associate professor at the Department of Applied Physics, Yamaguchi University, Japan. He received his PhD in physics from University of Tokyo, Japan, in 1988. His current research focuses on photoluminescence and light-induced creation of defects in hydrogenated amorphous silicon.