Rectifying and photovoltaic effects observed in mesoporous MCM-41 silica film on silicon

Oriented mesoporous MCM-41 silica films have been synthesized on single-crystalline silicon (111) wafers by the self-assembly deposition in ammonia medium. For the first time, the I– V curves and surface photovoltaic spectra of the films has been investigated. The I– V curve of the as-synthesized film exhibits an excellent rectified ratio of σ +/ σ −=3×10 3 (where σ +, σ − are the forward electrical conductivity and reverse electrical conductivity, respectively). The results of photovoltaic measurements indicate that the as-synthesized film possesses a significant surface photovoltaic increase.