Electronic Transport in Amorphous Semiconductors

Abstract

The electronic transport behaviour of amorphous semiconductors is reviewed in this article. Electron localization and its effect on the states at the band edges and in the gap are considered: within this framework, the d.c. electrical conductivity is discussed. The use of transient (time-of-flight) techniques to measure the drift mobility of electronic charge carriers is described. The mechanism of electrical doping in amorphous semiconductors is discussed and compared with that operative for crystalline semiconductors. Finally, defect-controlled electrical properties are discussed.