A H-related defect was reported that establishes the direct role of H in stabilizing the Si dangling bonds created in the Staebler-Wronski effect in hydrogenated amorphous Si. A specific nuclear magnetic resonance signal due to paired H atoms occurred only after optical excitation, existed at an intensity that was consistent with the density of optically induced Si dangling bonds, and anneals at temperatures that were consistent with the annealing of the optically induced Si dangling bonds. At this defect the H atoms were 0.23nm apart.

Direct Role of Hydrogen in the Staebler-Wronski Effect in Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon. T.Su, P.C.Taylor, G.Ganguly, D.E.Carlson: Physical Review Letters, 2002, 89[1], 015502 (4pp)