Robust room temperature persistent photoconductivity in polycrystalline indium oxide films

We have investigated the effects of UV irradiation on the electrical and optical properties of polycrystalline In2O3 films. We found that UV illumination at a peak wavelength of 365 nm leads to a sharp drop in resistance and increase in carrier concentration. This highly conductive state persists for a timescale of hours in air at room temperature after illumination. We observe distinct changes in the optical absorption spectra and the associated change in carrier concentration, which is consistent with a Burstein–Moss shift of 0.1 eV. The relaxation rate of this persistent conducting state depends strongly on temperature. We find that the conductance relaxation in an oxygen-free environment can be described by a stretched exponential while the behavior of the samples in air is better described by a logarithmic relaxation, both of which may be associated with glassy behavior. © 2009 American Institute of Physics. DOI: 10.1063/1.3159623