The photovoltages on the free surface of zinc oxide single crystal wafer were measured by directing the incident light from the upper side (free surface side) and the lower side (ZnO-Al contact side). The polarity of upper side photovoltage
VU was positive and that of lower side photovoltage
VL was negative.
It has been found that the observed photovoltages are composed of three different componts, that is, the change of surface barrier height, Δ
Vb, the surface drift voltage,
Vdrif, and the Dember voltager
VD. The first component, Δ
Vb, is caused by the decrease of chemisorbed oxygen ions under the illumination of light. Though this component is included in the upper side photovoltag, it is not included in the lower side one because the Δ
Vb component at the lower side surface can not be detected by the measurement of the contact potential difference of wafer free surface, and, further, the effect of lower side illumination for the upper side Δ
Vb component is negligible due to the attenuation of light intensity through the crystal.
The second component
Vdrif means the drift separation of electrons and holes generated by the incident light at the surface of crystal. This component included positively in upper side photovoltage, but it will be negative in lower side photovoltage.
The third component is the Dember voltage and this is caused by the difference of mobilities of electron and hole, and the difference of their densities in the carrier generated region. The polarity of
VD is positive in upper side photovoltage and negative iri lower side one.
Upper and lower photovoltages,
VU, and,
VL, of the single crystal of zinc oxide are given by the following equations
VU=
VD+
Vdrif+Δ
Vb,
VL=-(
VD+
Vdrif).
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