A new model for the Staebler–Wronski effect

A new model for the formation of metastable Staebler–Wronski (SW) defects in a-Si: H is proposed. The phonons of local Si–H vibrational modes released in the non-radiative recombination of photoexcited electrons and holes through weak Si–H bonds may break the Si–H bonds themselves and result in an increase of Si dangling bonds, that is, SW defects. The model provides a reasonable qualitative explanation of all the important experimental results related to the phenomenon.