Electron spin resonance study of light-induced annealing of dangling bonds in glow discharge hydrogenated amorphous silicon: Deconvolution of electron spin resonance spectra

We analyze the electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra of dangling bonds in a-Si:H samples before and after strong illumination which gives rise to the phenomenon of light-induced annealing of dangling bonds. The spectra are deconvoluted into two components, that due to normal dangling bonds and that due to H-related dangling bonds. Both before and after prolonged illumination, the normal dangling bonds constitute about 60% of the total spin density, while the H-related dangling bonds constitute about 40%. However, the photoannealed densities of the two types of dangling bonds are found to be different after strong illumination. In addition, we analyze the ESR spectra of dangling bonds observed after weak illumination.