Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/L12783/01
Title:	ELECTRONIC DOPING OF AMORPHOUS CARBON THIN FILMS
Principal Investigator:	Amaratunga, Professor G
Other Investigators:	Kiely, Professor C
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:	Multi-Arc (UK) Ltd Pre Nexus Migration
Department:	Electrical Engineering and Electronics
Organisation:	University of Liverpool
Scheme:	Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	01 January 1997	Ends:	28 February 1999	Value (£):	147,525
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Materials Processing Solar Technology
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Electronics No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
The primary objective of this study is to understand the fundamental mechanisms that control the electronic conduction process in amorphous carbon [a-C] thin films and how these are modified by inclusion of dopants in the a-C network. Through the study of these properties in electronically doped and undoped a-C thin films it is hoped to further the prospects for using a-C in electronic devices. Although research in low temperature plasma deposited C films has been in progress for over a decade, there still exists no detailed understanding as to the exact mechanisms which mediate conduction. Questions such as: whether the conduction process is controlled by gap state hopping or extended state conduction; what form of barrier exists at the contacts; why a Schottky contact cannot be made to a-C thin films [to date]; why electronic doping of a-C films, especially hydrogenated a-C [a-C:H] films, has not been successful; have to be resolved. Carbon has a number of attributes that make it an attractive wide band gap semiconducting material for large area electronic applications such as displays and solar cells. Control of the electronic conduction process through doping is essential for these applications. Initial measurements by the investigators using a PECVD system [1,2] and the cathodic vacuum arc [3,4] have proved promising and this project will study the doping process in detail.
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Organisation Website:	http://www.liv.ac.uk