Photovoltages Larger than the Band Gap in Thin Films of Germanium

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Abstract
Photovoltages much larger than the band gap were investigated in thin films of germanium deposited obliquely onto Pyrex substrates. The voltages were studied as functions of angle of deposit, film thickness, intensity of illumination, temperature, and ambient atmosphere. A model is presented which explains the following observations. Positive and negative photovoltages exist simultaneously in a single sample; which of these predominates changes with time. Dark resistance and photovoltage exhibit the same temperature dependence with identical activation energies, indicating that both dark resistance and photovoltage arise from the same elementary processes.