Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 February 2011
Grain boundary properties of polysilicon deposited by molecular beams have been investigated by electron spin resonance and conductivity measurements. The variations of the conductivity activation energy with doping can be explained by a density of states model consisting mainly of two exponential bandtails, implying that dangling bonds play a minor role. A hydrogen plasma treatment at 500 °C reduces the spin density by a factor of three but also passivates weak Si-Si bonds thus leading to steeper bandtails. The possibility of hydrogen-related intra-grain gap states is also discussed.