Analysis of Composite Spectral?Sensitivity Functions

Abstract

In measurem mts of the photoelectric effect on semiconductors two types of relationship ]uwe boen found between the frequency of incident radiation v and the obsenlld photoelectric current lobs. In one type, the plot of log lObs against v fits th( theoretical Fowler curve (Fowler 1931) ; in other cases, however, a curve is obtained which is in two parts, each of which can be fitted to a separate Fowler curvc. Thus Suhrmann, Wedler, and Dierk (1958a, 1958b) obtained " composite" curves from bismuth films, and we have found both types of behaviour with evaporated nickel films undergoing stepwise oxidation. The problem of interpreting such composite curves is quite a general one.