抄録
A germanium film prepared by vacuum evaporation and deposited at an oblique angle of incidence on a glass substrate exhibits a very large photovoltaic effect. The magnitude of photovoltage reaches as high as 330V for a film of 0.6 mm long (5, 500V/cm) under appropriate condition. For this effect to appear, it is necessary that the evaporation and deposition of germanium is made obliquely and that oxygen is adsorbed on the germanium film thus formed. When the deposition is made obliquely, fine crystallites grow in the direction of the evaporator from the numerous crystal nuclei formed on the substrate in the beginning. Thus, a thin film is composed in which fine crystallites arrange themselves with a definite orientation. When the film is illuminated by light, minute photovoltage is generated in every one of the crystallites and the sum of these voltages along the length of film becomes a high voltage between both ends of the film.
