Transport properties and defects in silicon nanoparticles and effect of embedding in amorphous silicon layers

We study the properties of silicon nanoparticles produced by CO2 laser pyrolysis of silane in a gas flow reactor, and the effect of sandwiching a thin layer of such particles between two a-Si:H layers. Contrary to the case of hydrogenated polymorphous silicon for which it is known that the electronic and stability properties can be enhanced compared to conventional hydrogenated amorphous silicon, the electronic properties of such a sandwich structure are degraded and the number of deep defects is increased.