Photoelectric phenomena in structures based on high-resistivity semiconductor crystals with a thin insulator layer at the semiconductor-metal boundary

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of a giant spatial redistribution of electric field in high-resistivity semiconductor structures under illumination, revealing new photoelectric phenomena influenced by field redistribution rather than carrier lifetime.

Contribution

It introduces a novel concept explaining photoelectric effects in high-resistivity semiconductors based on electric field redistribution under illumination, with implications for device design.

Findings

Discovered giant electric field redistribution in illuminated structures

Proposed a new concept for photoelectric phenomena in high-resistivity semiconductors

Explored ways to engineer structures with specific photoelectric properties

Abstract

A previously unknown effect-giant spatial redistribution of the electric field strength in a crystal under illumination of the structure - was discovered and investigated in real photoresistors on high-resistivity (semi-insulating) semiconductor CdTe crystals (in metal-thin insulator- semiconductor-thin insulator -metal structures). A new concept is proposed for photoelectric phenomena in high- resistivity semiconductor crystals. The concept is based on the idea that the redistribution of the field under such conditions that the carrier lifetime remains unchanged under illumination plays a determining role in these phenomena. The nature of the effect is described, the dependence of the characteristics of the structures on the parameters of the crystal and the insulator layers is explained by the manifestation of this effect, and ways to produce structures with prescribed photoelectric characteristics for new devices and scientific methods are examined.