ESR observations of paramagnetic centers in intrinsic hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon

Paramagnetic centers in hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon, mc-Si:H have been studied using dark and light-induced electron-spin resonance ~ESR!. In dark ESR measurements only one center is observed. The g values obtained empirically from powder-pattern line-shape simulations are gi52.0096 and g’52.0031. We suggest that this center may be due to defects in the crystalline phase. During illumination at low temperatures, an additional ESR signal appears. This signal is best described by two powder patterns indicating the presence of two centers. One center is asymmetric (gi51.999, g’51.996), while the other is characterized by large, unresolved broadening such that unique g values cannot b…