Novel Application of Amorphous Silicon in Electrostatic Loudspeakers

ABSTRACTA thin film of amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) has been developed for application as the charge retention layer in electrostatic loudspeakers. The vibrating diaphragm in this type of loudspeakers is usually coated with a thin film in order to assure homogeneous charge distribution across the surface. This thin film should be capable of maintaining a high surface charge density and possess a high lateral resistivity to prevent charge displacement. Furthermore, it should be mechanically stable, capable of accomodating mechanical deformation, and resistant against humidity. Conventionally, a graphite layer is used in these applications. However, the conventional layers are frequently unstable and suffer from charge displacement effects eventually leading to electric breakdown. Further requirements are that the film can be deposited continuously and homogeneously over large areas in excess of 1 m2 and that the deposition technique is compatible with the properties of the thin membrane. We investigated small-area prototypes of electrostatic loudspeakers with a-Si:H thin films deposited on polyimide substrates in the Utrecht deposition system, ASTER. Plasma-deposited amorphous silicon films fabricated under certain conditions are shown to meet all of the above requirements.