Photoelectric properties of Au/Bi4Ti3O12/Si/Al heterostructures were invest
igated in continuous and modulated light in the 250-1100 nm wavelength rang
e. Four bands, centred on 400 nm (3.1 eV), 500 nm (2.48 eV), 865 nm (1.43 e
V) and 1025 nm (1.2 eV), can be observed in the normalized spectral distrib
utions of photoconducting and photovoltaic signals. The relative amplitudes
of these peaks depend on the annealing temperature, ferroelectric polariza
tion and illumination conditions. The 1025 nm (1.2 eV) and 400 nm (3.1 eV)
bands were assigned to the intrinsic carrier generation in Si and Ei(4)Ti(3
)O(12), respectively The 865 nm (1.43 eV) band is due to the charge carrier
excitation from some interface states acting as trapping centres. The 500
nm (2.48 eV) band was attributed to the intrinsic excitation in a third pha
se, probably a silicate, which is developing at the Bi4Ti3O12-Si interface
during the air annealing. The frequency dependence of the ac photovoltaic s
ignal is wavelength dependent, suggesting different recombination mechanism
s in the two basic materials. To explain the experimental results a possibl
e band structure for the interface is proposed. This band structure conside
rs the presence: of spontaneous polarization in the ferroelectric film and
the existence of some trapping states at the Bi4Ti3O12-Si interface.