6533b7ddfe1ef96bd1274764

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Photochemical generation of E′ centres from Si–H in amorphous SiO2under pulsed ultraviolet laser radiation

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In situ optical absorption spectroscopy was used to study the generation of E' centres () in amorphous SiO2 occurring by photo-induced breaking of Si–H groups under 4.7 eV pulsed laser radiation. The dependence on laser intensity of the defect generation rate is consistent with a two-photon mechanism for Si–H rupture, while the growth and saturation of the defects are conditioned by their concurrent annealing due to a reaction with mobile hydrogen arising from the same precursor. A rate equation is proposed to model the kinetics of the defects and is tested on experimental data.