Effect of the Hydrogen Concentration on the Pd/n-InP Schottky Diode Photocurrent

Abstract The variation rate of the short-circuit photocurrent of Pd/n-InP Schottky diodes is studied as a function of the presence of hydrogen in a gas mixture with H2 concentrations of 1–100 vol %. It is shown that upon the simultaneous exposure of the Schottky diode to a hydrogen-containing gas mixture and to light (λ = 0.9 μm), the hydrogen concentration in the gas mixture and the Pd/n-InP diode photocurrent variation rate are related exponentially. The Schottky-diode response rate to the presence of hydrogen in the gas mixture increases with the illumination intensity.