Diamond ultraviolet photovoltaic cell obtained by lithium and boron doping

Polycrystalline high quality freestanding 300-mu m-thick diamond films were doped by diffusion of B and Li under electric bias in order to fabricate vertical p-n junctions. Circular contacts were obtained by high dose ion implantation of B and Li. The I-V characteristics were rectifying. When illuminated by deuterium lamp, an open circuit voltage was 2.6 eV. The shape of the I-V characteristic under illumination points to the existence of shunt and series resistances. The obtained structure is most probably a p-n junction with bad contacts. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.