Effect of the interface layer on the characteristics of metal-semiconductor diodes

Open circuit photovoltage has been measured at the illuminated metal-semiconductor junction on Au-CdS and Cu-CdS structures. Interface states conditioned by surface preparation are shown to be very important for the generation of a photovoltaic effect, correlations have been found between photovoltage and contact parameters such as interfacial layer thickness, determined by capacitance voltage measurements, and barrier height at junction determined by standard current-voltage and Fowler photocurrent methods. The improvement of metal-semiconductor solar cells characteristics in connexion with the interfacial layer has been predicted by Fonash.