Hot Carrier-Voltaic Effect inp-nJunction and Its Application to Electron Emitters and Light Detectors

Abstract

When a p-n junction is illuminated by intense light beam in a condition of band gap energy larger than photon energy, electromotive force is induced across the p-n junction with the polarity opposite to ordinary photo-voltaic effect such as a solar cell. Such an anomalous photovoltaic phenomenon has been explained as optically excited hot carrier-voltaic effect by studying the induced voltage across the p-n junction due to hot carriers excited in electric field parallel to the junction plane. As useful applications of the hot carrier-voltaic effect, high efficiency electron emitter and high sensitivity light detector are proposed.