Electrical properties of MPS/PANI heterojunction doped with erbium

Macroporous silicon films were yielded by electrochemical corrosion in HF:DMF solution, after the structure passivation with polyaniline and then this film was doped with erbium using the cyclic voltammetry method. The structural analysis by scanning electron microscopy shown us the pores formation, whereas the analysis by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy reveals the formation of silicon oxide during the PANI deposition and the structural modification of PANI by the formation of addition functional groups by the erbium atoms. The results of the electrical measurements indicated that PANI reduces the space charge region width, as well as the amount of surface state density, but the current flow through the MPS/PANI devices is low due to the presence of SiO2 inside the structure. This effect is partially recovered by the inclusion of erbium because of its effect of further reducing the space charge region width.