Meyer-Neldel and anti-Meyer-Neldel rule in microcrystalline silicon and silicon carbide examined with Hall measurements

TL;DR

This study investigates the electronic transport properties of microcrystalline silicon and silicon carbide using temperature-dependent Hall measurements, revealing novel switching behavior between Meyer-Neldel and anti-Meyer-Neldel rules.

Contribution

It presents the first observation of switching between Meyer-Neldel and anti-Meyer-Neldel rules in these materials and expands the statistical shift model to explain room temperature properties.

Findings

Observation of sample switching between MNR and anti-MNR

Application of anti-MNR to describe room temperature properties

Expansion of the statistical shift model

Abstract

We study the electronic transport in lightly phosphorus-doped hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon ($\mu$c-Si:H) and nominally undoped hydrogenated silicon carbide ($\mu$c-SiC:H) by temperature-dependent Hall measurements. The material properties cover different crystallinities and doping concentrations. For$\mu$c-Si:H samples, the carrier concentration is altered by electron bombardment and subsequent step-wise annealing of defects. We describe the behavior of conductivity, mobility, and carrier concentration in terms of the Meyer-Neldel rule (MNR) and anti-MNR. We present the first sample switching between them. A theoretical examination leverages the anti-MNR to describe electronic room temperature properties, and it expands the statistical shift model.