Spectroscopic evidence of photogenerated carrier separation by built-in electric field in Sb-doped n-BaSi^sub 2^/B-doped p-BaSi^sub 2^ homojunction diodes

The operation of a BaSi2 homojunction solar cell is first demonstrated. In n+-BaSi2 (20 nm)/p-BaSi2 (500 nm)/p+-BaSi2 (50 nm) homojunction diodes on p+-Si(111) (resistivity ρ < 0.01 Ω cm), the internal quantum efficiency (IQE) under AM1.5 illumination becomes pronounced at wavelengths λ < 800 nm and exceeded 30% at λ = 500 nm. In contrast, the IQE values are small at λ < 600 nm in n+-BaSi2 (300 nm)/p-Si (ρ > 0.1 Ω cm) heterojunction diodes, but are high in the range between 600 and 1200 nm. The difference in spectral response demonstrates the photogenerated carrier separation by the built-in electric field in the homojunction diode.