Silicon-nonaqueous solution interface studied by capacitance-voltage and conductance-voltage techniques

Journal Article · Thu Jan 24 04:00:00 EST 1991 · Journal of Physical Chemistry; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/j100155a061· OSTI ID:5878485

Kobayashi, Hikaru; Takeda, Nobuteru; Sugahara, Hiroshi; Tsubomura, Hiroshi ^[1]

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1. Osaka Univ. (Japan)

The capacitance-voltage and conductance-voltage techniques are applied to the study of the silicon-acetonitrile and silicon-methanol interfaces. The flat-band potential of the silicon electrode in these solutions shows an irreversible anodic shift during successive sweeps of the electrode potential, the amount of the shift depending on the electrolytes, the solvents, and the potential sweep regions. XPS spectra show that a silicon oxide layer is formed after the potential sweeps, and cations of the electrolytes are included in the oxide layer. This cation inclusion causes a potential drop across this layer, enhancing the barrier height in the silicon. The capacitance and conductance peaks observed for the silicon electrodes immersed in these solutions are attributable more probably to minority carriers in the surface region than surface states. The time constant for the conductance peak is longer than 3 {times} 10{sup {minus}2} s in the dark, while it decreases to {approximately} 2 {times} 10{sup {minus}4} s under illumination due to an increase in the minority carrier generation rate in the silicon. In the presence of the redox couple in the solution, the minority carrier quasi-Fermi level at the surface coincides with the redox level in the small bias region, and the linear Mott-Schottky plot arises.

• OSTI ID: 5878485
• Journal Information: Journal of Physical Chemistry; (USA), Journal Name: Journal of Physical Chemistry; (USA) Vol. 95:2; ISSN 0022-3654; ISSN JPCHA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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ACETONITRILE
ALCOHOLS
DATA
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
ELECTRODES
ELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
ELEMENTS
ENERGY LEVELS
EQUIPMENT
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FERMI LEVEL
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
METHANOL
NITRILES
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
PHOTOELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SEMIMETALS
SILICON
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SPECTROSCOPY