Study of current flow mechanisms in a CdS/$por$-Si/$p$-Si heterostructure

The temperature dependence of the forward and reverse portions of the current–voltage characteristic and the photovoltage spectrum of a CdS/$por$-Si/$p$-Si semiconductor heterostructure are studied. It is found that the current-flow mechanisms are controlled by generation–recombination processes in the spacecharge region of the CdS/$por$-Si/$p$-Si heterojunction, carrier tunneling in the $por$-Si film, and the model of space-charge-limited currents. A simplified version of the energy-band diagram of the heterostructure under study is proposed.