Optimum thickness of SiO₂ layer formed at the interface of N-ZnO/P-Si photodiodes

We report on the fabrication of n-ZnO/p-Si heterojunction photodiodes. N-ZnO films were deposited on p-Si at various temperatures of 300, 480, and 550°C for the diode fabrication. Some of the diodes exhibited strong photoelectric effects under illumination using a monochromatic red light. The diode with n-ZnO deposited at 480°C was found to relatively satisfy the optimum conditions for the optimal photoelectric performance: a relatively high film quality and a good n/p junction with a relatively thin interfacial SiO₂ layer.