We have found that rf strains remarkably affect the photovoltage in the Au/SiO2/SiGe Schottky barrier. We have monitored spectra of photovoltage and DLTS spectra as a function of the amplitude of the strain applied to the SiGe/Si heterostructure. We have observed an inversion of the photovoltage produced by the strain accompanied by the quenching effect on DLTS peaks. We have argued that rf strains are capable of modifying a built-in electric field near SiO2/SiGe interface which can be used for improvement of the power conversion efficiency in SiGe-based solar cells. (C) 2009 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.