Large lateral photoeffect observed in metal–semiconductor junctions of CoxMnyO films and Si

A large lateral photoeffect (LPE) has been observed in an oxidized film Cox Mny O deposited on an n-type Si substrate by sputtering. Under the nonuniform illumination of a laser beam, the lateral photovoltage shows a high sensitivity to the spot position on the Cox MnyO surface. The largest open-circuit position sensitivity is about 34.3 mV mm−1. These phenomena were discussed in terms of the metal–semiconductor junction which exists between the oxidized film and the Si substrate. The large LPE is expected to make the oxidized film a new candidate for position-sensitive photodectors.