Ambipolar Diffusion Coefficients in a-SiC:H Alloys in Steady- State and Transient Grating Measurements

Recently we have determined surprisingly large values of the ambipolar diffusion coefficient D of 3–9 cm2/s in amorphous silicon-based alloys and a-Si:H/a-SiC:H multilayer structures from transient grating decays in the psec time domain. The steady-state photocarrier grating method, however, resulted in much lower D values (~10−4 cm2/s) in the same samples. Since high carrier densities of typically 1019 cm−3 are reached in the psec domain, the Einstein relation may no longer be valid. The large diffusivity of non-equilibrium carriers decreases, however, rapidly in time due to energy relaxation and carrier recombination until a stable trap occupation under steady-state condition is reached.