Microcrystallinity and silyl rotors in a-Si:D,H films

Abstract Deuteron magnetic resonance (DMR) studies in a-Si:D,H and a-Si:D films reveal the existence of rotating silyl SiD x H 3−x groups. The characteristic silyl signal is a 22 kHz DMR quadrupolar doublet which persists from 300 K down to 1.6 K. The signal does not occur in the highest quality films. TEM studies indicate that the appearance of the DMR silyl signal correlates with the presence of microcrystalline inclusions. Comparisons of spin-lattice relaxation times indicate that most of the silyl rotors do not extend into hydrogen (deuterium)-filled microvoids.