Photovoltaic properties of interfaces of organic films of substituted perylene with TiO2 and SnO2 surfaces

The photovoltaic effect has been detected and studied in structures based on ultrathin vacuum-deposited organic films of perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride on the titanium and tin dioxide surfaces. The interfacial potential barrier shape in these structures is studied by low-energy electron total current spectroscopy. Changes in the surface potential upon exposure to visible light are recorded in situ using an electron-beam probe with energies from 0 to 25 eV. The photovoltage is detected at incident photon energies of 1.5–2.5 eV, which corresponds to the organic film absorption range and simultaneously to the transmission band of titanium and tin dioxides. An analysis of the spectral distributions and transient responses shows that two components of the observed photovoltage can be distinguished. The relation of one of the components to the excitation of interband transitions in the organic film and another component to electronic transitions involving interfacial energy states are discussed.