It is shown that the drift in the current-voltage characteristics of s
ilicon-rich amorphous silicon nitride metal-semiconductor-metal diodes
can be explained by a mechanism whereby electron trapping centers are
created via hole-electron recombination. A first order model which in
cludes excitation of holes by hot electrons moving into the anode and
recombination of electrons with holes trapped in the valence band tail
is in good quantitative agreement with the measured dependencies betw
een drift, device thickness, current density, time, and charge passed
through the device. (C) 1994 American Institute of Physics.