Physical and electronic structure of amorphous silicon carbon hydrogen alloy

The physical and electronic structure of hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC:H) are identified by measuring its photoluminescence and infrared spectra at various stages of thermal annealing. It is found that Brodsky’s [Solid State Commun. 36, 55 (1980)] quantum well model can be successfully applied to explain the observed results, such as the double peak structure in photoluminescence spectrum and the physical origin of the optical gap widening due to carbon incorporation.