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Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Kufa , Najaf , Iraq
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Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Kufa , Najaf , Iraq
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Department of Physics, College of Education for Girls, University of Kufa , Najaf , Iraq
Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Kufa , Najaf , Iraq
This paper explores the effect of different etching currents on the optical and electrical properties of Au/PS/p-Si/Al heterojunctions. PS layers were prepared in p-type silicon wafers by use of the electrochemical etching (ECE) technique, and then the metallization with gold (Au) was deposited through thermal evaporation. The etching currents were adjusted (0.2, 0.4, and 0.6 mA), and the obtained heterojunctions were analyzed in terms of current voltage (I-V), capacitance voltage (C-V), and reflectivity. The most important results included the fact that the etching current was increased, which essentially enhanced the detection efficiency to 93% at 0.6 mA, and the rectification ratio, which was indicative of improved diode-like behavior. Also, the capacitance was found to reduce with the increased etching current, which was also due to the enlargement of the depletion region in the PS layer. Optical findings revealed an increase in reflectivity with an increase in etching currents, with the growth in surface roughness and the enhancement of light scattering being the main reasons. This finding demonstrates the vital importance of etching current in the control of the electrical and optical properties of PS-based heterojunctions. The paper adds useful information to the optimization of porous silicon devices to be used in optoelectronic devices, showing how microstructural alterations can be used to influence performance. The future directions of the work should be further optimization of etching parameters, the effect of various objective electrolytes in their make-up, and the stability of such heterojunctions over time to be put into practical use as photodetectors, solar cells, and sensors, among others. Also, it will be important to scale up the fabrication process whilst ensuring high performance, as this will be essential in implementing the fabrication process in the real world.
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (CC BY-NC) License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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