Characterizing and understanding the photovoltage in n-Si/Au light-addressable electrochemical sensors†

Abstract

Here, we characterize the photovoltage of n-Si/Au light-addressable electrodes (LAEs) over a range of solution potentials from ca. −1 to +1 V. We find that the n-Si/Au photoelectrodes show photovoltages consistent with a semiconductor/liquid junction in contrast to a buried junction, which opposes our previous understanding of how photovoltage originates in these sensors.