Investigation of the photovoltage in por-Si/p-Si structures by the pulsed-photovoltage method

Photovoltaic phenomena in the structures por-Si/p-Si were investigated by the pulsed photovoltage method in the time interval 100 ns-10 ms using irradiation with nanosecond laser pulses with photon energies 1.4, 2.0, 2.8, and 3.7 eV. The data obtained show that besides the barrier photovoltage, due to the separation of nonequilibrium charge carriers in the space-charge region of p-Si at the por-Si/p-Si interface, there also exists an efficient mechanism of photovoltage formation due to charging of the surface of the por-Si nanostructure. This mechanism is explained as “optical doping” of a semiconductor and develops in a manner peculiar to semiconductor nanostructures. Fiz. Tekh. Poluprovodn. 32, 613–619 (May 1998)