The Origin of Slow States at the Interface of a-Si:H and Silicon Nitride

Transient photoconductivity is used to investigate the origin of slow states near the interface of a-Si:H and silicon nitride. A graded composition of the nitride layer near the interface greatly increases the density of slow states. We deduce that slow states are bulk nitride traps and that the magnitude of charge storage is largely determined by the composition dependence of the localization radius of electrons within these traps. The kinetics of charge storage and release are found to be very different and are interpreted in terms of an activation step at the interface.