Optical and electrical instabilities in amorphous semiconductors
Studies have been carried out in the following areas: 1) Laser-induced crystallization The laser-induced crystallization of amorphous chalcogenide thin films has been studied, especially the kinetics and thermodynamics characterising the process. 2) Optical bistability and oscillatory phenomena The...
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University of Edinburgh
1993
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| Online Access: | http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.651946 |
| Summary: | Studies have been carried out in the following areas: 1) Laser-induced crystallization The laser-induced crystallization of amorphous chalcogenide thin films has been studied, especially the kinetics and thermodynamics characterising the process. 2) Optical bistability and oscillatory phenomena The laser-amorphous semiconductor interaction has been studied especially c.w. laser induced optical bistabilities and oscillatory phenomena in transmittance and reflectance. Theoretical models of thermally induced optical bistability and oscillation have also been described. 3) Optical anisotropy The effect of linearly polarised c.w. laser light in inducing birefringence and dichroism in amorphous semiconductors has been studied. The kinetics of reorientation has also been investigated. A quantitative theory of optical anisotropy and reorientation has been described. 4) Current instabilities and electrical switching The effects of electrically induced current instabilities especially digital and analogue memory switching have been studied. A theoretical model has been described in terms of filament formation and tunnelling conduction in metal-amorphous silicon-metal structures. 5) Step-like current-voltage characteristics Unusual step-like current-voltage characteristics in electroformed metal-amorphous semiconductor-metal structures have been studied over a range of temperatures from 4.2 K to 400 K and theoretical models proposed. |
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