The effects of exposure to atmosphere (ageing) and light-soaking on coplanar dark- and photo-conductivity of silicon films of varying crystallinity are examined. Dark conductivity generally increases on ageing in films with significant amorphous fraction and decreases in largely crystalline films, and may be reversed by annealing under vacuum at 130 °C consistent with adsorption and desorption of atmospheric components. Thinner films are more strongly affected by ageing. Boron doping appears to compensate charge introduced by ageing, though there are disagreements in detail. In comparison with ageing, moderate light-soaking affects dark conductivity in transitional microcrystalline silicon films only slightly. Both processes change the majority carrier mu–tau product in line with shifts in Fermi level position.
J. Non-Cryst. Solids 352, p. 1075 (2006)

Measurements of dark conductivity, steady-state and transient photoconductivity in undoped and boron-doped microcrystalline silicon films exposed to room air are reported. Two aging processes are identified: (i) an increase in dark conductivity and mobility-lifetime product occurring over several days, that may be reversed by heating to 160 °C under vacuum, and subsequently re-cycled, (ii) an irreversible change in the density of states occurring over a period of several months. It is proposed that the reversible effect is associated with charge transport in a region of electron accumulation induced by weakly-adsorbed water, whereas the irreversible effect, identified from its transient photocurrent signature, is associated with a true change in the density of states within the transport path, possibly as a result of slow chemical reactions at silicon grain boundaries.
J. Non-Cryst. Solids 338, p. 421 (2004)