Photoelectric properties of metal-porous silicon-silicon planar heterostructures

Abstract

Dark and light I-V characteristics as well as spectral curves of planar Ni-porous silicon-p-Si-Ni heterostructures have been studied. It is shown that photogeneration in heterostructure occurs both in the region of thin porous silicon layer and p-Si base. Avalanche breakdown is observed in the heterostructure at applied voltage biases V > 8-10 V and T = 77 K. The coefficient of multiplying at V = 11 V achieves 60 (dark) and 200 (light), which is close to that of silicon n+-p-i-p+ avalanche photodiodes.