CURRENT-VOLTAGE CHARACTERISTICS OF ANOMALOUS-PHOTOVOLTAGE CADMIUM TELLURIDE FILMS.

A calculation is reported of the current-voltage characteristics of a structure containing series-connected p-n and n-p junctions shunted by a photoresistor. This structure is an analog of a cadmium telluride film developing an anomalous photovoltage. It is shown that a superlinear rise in current should be observed both for mutually coupled ( alpha approximately equals 1) and uncoupled ( alpha equals 0) junctions. Experimental results are given of a study of the current-voltage characteristics of anomalous-photovoltage cadmium telluride films. These characteristics are symmetric for both directions of the current and linear up to E equals 5 multiplied by 10**3 V/cm; in the 5 multiplied by 10**3-10**5 V/cm range, there is a superlinear rise in the current in accordance with the equation I equals beta V**n, where n equals 1. 4. It is shown that the experimentally observed superlinear rise in the current is not due to thermal processes or the transport of injected carriers from forward- to reverse-biased junctions. The dependence I (V) exhibited by cadmium telluride films is explained by a model of uncoupled junctions.