Depolarization electric field and poling voltage-modulated Pb,La(Zr,Ti)O3-based self-powered ultraviolet photodetectors

Traditional self-powered ultraviolet photodetectors, which are usually designed based on p-n junction interfacial effects, exhibit low responsivity and specific detectivity because the photogenerated electrons and holes cannot be separated effectively. Unlike wide band-gap semiconductor materials, ferroelectrics have large remnant polarization and thus high depolarization electric field throughout the whole bulk region, which can cause effective separation of photogenerated electrons and holes. Based on this, in this study, we prepare Pb_0.93La_0.07(Zr_1-xTi_x)_0.9825O₃ (PLZT) ferroelectric thin films with large remnant polarization and self-powered ultraviolet photodetectors with Au/PLZT/FTO structure. The results indicate that the photoelectric response performances of the detectors improve as the remnant polarization of the PLZT thin film and positive poling voltage increase. By adjusting the Ti content, due to large remnant polarization of 47.4 μC/cm² in the PLZT thin films with 80 mol% Ti, the corresponding photodetector exhibits the best self-powered ultraviolet photoelectric response with the high photo/dark current ratio of 2600, responsivity of 2.05 mA/W, specific detectivity of 5.45 × 10¹⁰ Jones, and fast response speed (rise time of 18 ms). These values are superior to those of recently reported self-powered ultraviolet photodetectors.     

Self-powered broadband α-MoO3/Si photodetector based on photo-induced thermoelectric effect

As a two-dimensional crystal, molybdenum trioxides (α-MoO₃) has been considered as a typical candidate for next-generation photodetectors (PDs) but with limited photodetection applications in the ultraviolet region. Here, a photo-induced thermoelectric (PTE) effect in α-MoO₃ is proposed as a practical approach to realize the broadband photodetection of α-MoO₃/Si heterojunction PDs. High-quality α-MoO₃ films are grown on Si by using an e-beam evaporation method. By modulating the photo-induced thermoelectric potential along the c-axis on the transport properties, the α-MoO₃/Si PDs can be operated as a self-powered device, showing broadband photoresponse beyond the bandgap limitation in the wavelength range of 405–1550 nm. The manipulation of the PTE effect in the heterojunction is investigated carefully, clarifying the corresponding physical mechanisms of the unique photoresponse behaviors. Furthermore, the fabricated device exhibits competitive photodetection performance with a high photoresponsivity of 63.3 mA/W, a high optical detectivity of 3.1 × 10¹¹ cm Hz^1/2W^?1, fast response speeds with the rise/fall times of 0.47/0.76 ms, as well as high durability and environmental stability under 980-nm infrared illumination. These results not only provide a novel strategy to develop novel PDs with high performance, but also supply a deeply understanding of the PTE effect in α-MoO₃/Si heterojunctions.     

Preparation and characteristics study of self-powered and fast response p-NiO/n-Si heterojunction photodetector

The growth of crack-free nanostructured NiO films with good crystalline quality is of high importance for photodetectors to avoid performance failure. In this work, physical properties of spin coated NiO films were controlled by changing diethanolamine (DEA) to nickel acetate (NiAc) molar ratio (0:1–1:1) and post annealing temperature (300–650 °C). NiO film coated at DEA:NiAc molar ratio of 0:1 suffered from severe cracks and poor crystallinity, and by increasing the molar ratio to 1:1 a crack-free NiO with enhanced grain growth was obtained. With the increase of annealing temperature from 300 C to 600 °C, the crystallite size increased from 12.79 to 37.31 nm, and the bandgap decreased from 3.81 to 3.42 eV, indicating an enhancement in NiO film quality. A self-powered photodetector based on p-NiO/n-Si heterojunction showed broadband (UV-NIR) photodetection owing to synergistic photoelectric effect from both NiO film and Si substrate. The responsivity, detectivity, and external quantum efficiency were measured as 13.08, 46.02, 44.49, mA/W, 1.03 × 10¹¹, 3.65 × 10¹¹, 3.53 × 10¹¹, Jones, and 4.43%, 8.62%, 6.47% upon illumination with UV (365 nm), red (660 nm), and NIR (850 nm) lights, respectively. The photodetector showed high on/off current ratio of 1.210 × 10³ and fast response (less than 85 ms). These findings introduce p-NiO/n-Si heterojunction as a promising candidate for next generation optoelectronics.     

Fast response and broadband self-powered photodetectors based on CZTS/SiNW core-shell heterojunctions for health monitoring

In this work, fast response and broadband self-powered photodetectors based on heterojunctions of vertical smooth silicon nanowires (SiNWs) were proposed, which were achieved through spin-coating p-CZTS on top of n-SiNWs adopting a simple two-step method. First, CZTS was uniformly and tightly attached to the sidewalls of SiNWs in the form of nanoparticles. The prepared CZTS/SiNWs core-shell heterojunctions exhibited typical rectification characteristics in dark and excellent light response characteristics in light illumination. Our device could perform self-driven detection under the UV-VIS-NIR light irradiation without an external energy supply. The responsivity and specific detectivity were estimated to be 14 mAW^-1 and 1.5 × 10¹¹ Jones, which can be improved to 0.35 AW^-1 and 1.2 × 10¹³ Jones at ?1.5 V bias. In addition, the present device also possesses distinct advantages of a large I_light/I_dark ratio exceeding 4.25 × 10⁴, fast response rate with rise/fall times of 1.4/14.2 μs, and outstanding environmental stability. Finally, a heart rate health monitoring application by CZTS/SiNWs detector was proposed. All these results may pave a way for the real application of the self-driven detector in the field of health monitoring in the future.     

Multispectral photodetection using low-cost sputtered NiO/Ag/ITO heterostructure: From design concept to elaboration

High-performance multispectral photodetectors (PDs) are highly attractive for the emerging optoelectronic applications. In this work, a new broadband PD based on p-NiO/Ag/n-ITO heterostructure was fabricated by RF magnetron sputtering technique at room temperature. The tri-layered structure offering multispectral detection property was first identified using theoretical calculations based on combined FDTD and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) techniques. The crystal structure of the elaborated sensor was analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) method. The device optical properties were investigated by UV–Vis–NIR spectroscopy. The NiO/Ag/ITO heterostructured PD shows a high average absorbance of 63% over a wide spectrum range of [200 nm–1100nm]. Compared with NiO and ITO thin-films, the performances of the heterostructured device are considerably enhanced. It was found that the prepared PD with NiO/Ag/ITO heterostructure merges the benefits of multispectral photodetection with reduced optical losses and efficient transfer of photo-induced carrier. The device demonstrated a high I_ON/I_OFF ratio of 78 dB and an enhanced responsivity under UV, visible and NIR lights (171 mA/W at 365 nm, 67 mA/W at 550 nm and 93 mA/W at 850 nm). The broadband photodetection property enabled by the optimized NiO/Ag/ITO heterostructure opens a new route for the elaboration of low-cost devices that can offer multiple sensing purposes, which are highly suitable for optoelectronic applications.     

The suppression of dark current for achieving high-performance Ga2O3 nanorod array ultraviolet photodetector

Gallium oxide (Ga₂O₃) is a promising candidate for next-generation solar-blind photodetectors (PDs) because of its large bandgap of 4.9 eV. Its single-crystal nanorod structure improves its photoelectric performance, which promotes carrier transformation and separation. However, Ga₂O₃ nanorods fabricated by the hydrothermal method have many oxygen vacancies, which largely enhance the dark current and reduce the on/off ratio of PDs, restricting application of such devices. Therefore, in this paper, dual strategies are applied to reduce the dark current of a metal–semiconductor–metal-structured Ga₂O₃ nanorod PD fabricated by the hydrothermal method. Through these dual strategies, which include annealing treatment and the application of a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) coating, the dark current of the PD is reduced from 1.34 × 10^?7 to 2.04 × 10^?9 A at 1 V, resulting in the on/off ratio of the PD reaching as high as 3.24 × 10⁴. Besides, the responsivity and detectivity of the device reach 1.73 A/W and 2.53 × 10¹² Jones respectively, which represents better performance than those of other reported Ga₂O₃ nanorod array PDs. Results have shown that the new strategy adopted can greatly improve the performance of Ga₂O₃-based ultraviolet photodetectors.     

In-situ prepared WSe2/Si 2D-3D vertical heterojunction for high performance self-driven photodetector

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal chalcogenides (TMDs) have shown tremendous feasibility as building blocks for the development of high-performance optoelectronic devices owing to their distinct electrical and optical properties. However, the relatively narrow sensing range as well as the complex fabrication technique impede their technological applications. Here, we demonstrate the mixed-dimensional van der Waals (vdW) WSe₂/Si 2D-3D vertical heterojunction by in-situ fabrication of WSe₂ multilayer on pre-patterned Si, for broadband and fast-speed photodetection. Thanks to the novel high-quality vertical p-n heterojunction, the as-fabricated WSe₂/Si photodetector shows an excellent rectifying characteristic and a prominent photovoltaic effect, making the device capable of light detection in self-driven mode. Additionally, the device reveals remarkable performance in terms of a high specific detectivity of ～8.79 × 10¹³ Jones, a large responsivity of ～294 mA/W, and a fast response time of 4.1 μs. Significantly, the device shows high sensitivity to a wide spectra (200–1550 nm) owing to the production of a type-II band structure of the WSe₂/Si vertical heterojunction. The mechanism of photo-generated carriers separation and transfer in the heterojunction is analyzed by KPFM. Our work offers a potential route to the development of unique 2D-3D heterojunction for optoelectronic devices and system applications.     

Lead-free pyroelectric infrared detector based on (Bi1/2Na1/2)TiO3-BaTiO3 ferroelectric ceramics

In this paper, we theoretically and experimentally reported a lead-free pyroelectric infrared (PIR) detector using (Bi_1/2Na_1/2TiO₃)-BaTiO₃(BNT-BT) ferroelectric ceramics as the sensitive material. The variation of noise density, voltage response rate (R_V), and specific detection rate (D*) with the modulation frequency under the current mode amplification circuit was investigated, and it was found that the lead-free PIR detector showed high R_V in the low frequency band. The R_V and D* reached 1.51 × 10⁵ V/W and 2.02 × 10⁸ cmHz^1/2W⁻¹ at 10 Hz, respectively. The results were much superior to the PIR based on traditional commercial pyroelectric ceramics, indicating that BNT-BT lead-free ceramics have great potential in application to PIR detectors.     

Self-driven near-UV and visible light detection based on ITO/Gd-doped BiFeO3/Au heterostructure

Multiferroic BiFeO₃ materials have driven great interest due to their potential in solar-spectrum energy harvesting, optoelectronic and photodetection devices. Here we report effects of electric-field poling on electronic hybridization and domain structure, and their correlations with photovoltaic responses in the ITO/(Bi_0.93Gd_0.07)FeO₃ ceramic/Au heterostructure under 405 nm and 532 nm irradiations. Photovoltaic conversion, photoresponsivity (R) and specific detectivity (D*) are sensitive to ceramic thickness, photon energy, light intensity and electric-field poling. The photoresponsivity and detectivity in the 1 kV/cm poled photovoltaic cell under low-intensity 405 nm irradiation can respectively reach ～4.5 × 10^?2 A/W and 2.5 × 10¹¹ Jones, which are larger than ～2.8 × 10^?2 A/W and 1.56 × 10¹¹ Jones in the unpoled cell. This study demonstrates fast response times of ～1 × 10^?3 s and ～2 × 10^-2 s respectively under 405 nm and 532 nm irradiations. The improved photoresponse was driven jointly by the p-n junction, the field-modulated Schottky barriers and the network of grain boundaries and domain walls.     

Thickness dependent wavelength selective NIR-UV-visible photoresponse in ZnO nanowires and silicon heterojunction

In this paper, we report ZnO nanowires (NWs) and silicon-based type-II PN heterojunction for UV–Visible–Infrared self-powered photodetection. The as-grown ZnO NWs were highly crystalline and aligned along the c-axis in the [002] direction revealed in the HRTEM and XRD measurements. The Hall measurements revealed the n-type behavior for ZnO and p-type for p-Si with carrier concentrations of 4.09 × 10¹⁶ cm^?3 and 1.38 × 10¹⁷ cm^?3, respectively. The depletion widths were estimated to be ～35 nm and ～120 nm, respectively for p-Si and n-ZnO NWs. The Ag/n-ZnO NWs/p-Si/Ag PN heterojunction showed large photoresponse, even at zero bias, under the illumination of commercially available UV–Visible–NIR LEDs, thus acting as a self-powered photodetector. It was interesting to observe that the photoresponse was dependent on the growth time and hence the thickness of ZnO NWs thin film. A maximum zero bias responsivity of ～0.1 A/W at green (515 nm) was observed and was large for the junction with thicker ZnO NWs film (5 h growth), compared with thinner (3 h growth) device under IR (950 nm) LED illumination, however, it was observed otherwise for UV (395 nm) LED. This suggests that tuning the thickness of the ZnO NWs thin film results in the wavelength selective photoresponse, consequently, paving the way towards UV blind IR-visible photodetector based on ZnO NWs. The transient short circuit current (I_sc vs t) and open circuit voltage (V_oc vs t) properties showed fast and large responses under periodic illumination of all LEDs (UV–Vis–NIR). The response was observed to depend on the intensity of light and the maximum V_oc comes out to be ～102 mV and I_sc ～5.58 μA, under the illumination of a red laser diode.     

Realization of a self-powered ZnSnO MSM UV photodetector that uses surface state controlled photovoltaic effect

Self-powered ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors (PDs) that use a vertical p-n junction generally involve a complex fabrication process if they are to be integrated with optoelectronic integrated circuits (OEICs). This study demonstrates the fabrication of a self-powered metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) UV PD with simple planar structure using nontoxic and earth abundant ZnSnO (ZTO). The self-powering characteristic is realized using a localized UV-assisted thermal annealing (LUV-TA) process that selectively modifies the surface states underneath different contacts and creates asymmetric Schottky barrier heights (SBHs) for the MSM PD. The a-ZTO MSM PD with assymmetric SBHs operates at a zero bias and has a responsivity of 18.2 mA/W at 350 nm. The open-circuit voltage is 0.40 V under UV illumination at a wavelength of 365 nm (50 mW/cm²). The device exhibits a fast response speed, with a rise time of 38 ms and a decay time of 180 ms. This study demonstrates that this strategy can be extended to other MSM PDs, particularly those that use an amorphous oxide semiconductor as the active layer.     

Amorphous-AlZnN/graphene heterostructure for solar-blind ultraviolet photovoltaic detectors

Based on the characteristics of ultra-wide bandgap, radiation resistance, high thermal and chemical stability, AlN has been regarded as an ideal material with great potential for ultraviolet detectors. However, its application in solar-blind ultraviolet (SBUV) detection (between 200 nm and 280 nm) is limited by the absorption cutoff edge that is generally less than 200 nm. Here, a photovoltaic SBUV detector with p-Gr/i-AlZnN/n-Si heterojunction structure is first fabricated based on amorphous AlZnN film with an absorption cutoff edge of 258 nm, which is obtained by doping Zn atoms into AlN and controlling the proportion of Zn atoms. The device exhibits outstanding SBUV detection performance, such as the open-circuit voltage (V_oc) reaching 0.87 V at 255 nm, a responsivity of 20.81 mA/W, an EQE of 10.13%, a detection rate of 3.98 × 10¹² Jones, a rise time of 33.2 ms and a fall time of 155 ms under 0 V bias. The results of this study indicate that amorphous AlZnN films applicable to SBUV detectors can be well prepared by energy band engineering, which also work as a reference for the preparation of AlZnN SBUV detectors with excellent performance.     

Nano- and microstructural effects on thermal properties of poly (l-lactide)/multi-wall carbon nanotube composites

In this work the thermal properties of poly (l-lactide)/multi-wall carbon nanotube (PLLA/MWCNT) composites have been investigated. Thermal conductivity was determined after measuring specific heat capacity (C_p), thermal diffusivity (D) and bulk density (ρ) of composites. Thermal conductivity rises up to 0.345 W/m K at 5 wt.% after reaching a minimum value of about 0.12 W/m K at 0.75 wt.%. In order to understand the heat-conduction process, experimentally obtained thermal conductivities were fitted to an existing theoretical model. The much lower thermal conductivity of composites compared with the value estimated from the intrinsic thermal conductivity of the nanotubes and their volume fraction could be explained in terms of the obtained large thermal resistance (R_k) of 1.8 ± 0.3 × 10^?8 m² K/W at nanotube–matrix interface. The CNT dispersion in the composites was analyzed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Although the thermal resistance dramatically reduces the estimated bulk thermal conductivity of composites, the existence of an interconnected conductive nanotube network for thermal diffusion in PLLA/MWCNT composites demonstrates that the addition of carbon nanotubes represents an efficient strategy in order to successfully enhance the thermal conductivity of insulator polymers.     

Broadband impedance spectroscopic characterization of PbTiO3 crystal grown by spontaneous crystallization from molten oxides

Tetragonal lead titanate PbTiO₃ single crystals were grown by spontaneous crystallization from a lead and boron oxide flux and investigated by impedance spectroscopy in the broadband frequency range (10⁻³–5×10⁶ Hz) along the crystallographic a and c axes at room temperature.Three polarization relaxation modes as well as electric conductivity processes were revealed. In the ultralow frequency range (<10 Hz), the relaxation processes were assigned to the electrode and the ferroelectric domains polarizations. In the high frequency range (10⁵ Hz), the relaxation process arises from the crystal lattice polarizations. The electric conduction of the investigated crystals is determined by two fundamental effects – ionic and hopping conductivities. In addition, the anisotropies of relative dielectric constant (300) as well as DC conductivity (1.8×10⁻⁹ S/m) were estimated.     

Non-stoichiometric BZT-BCT ferroelectrics with visible/near-infrared photoresponse for broadband photodetection

The bulk photovoltaic effect in ferroelectric materials exhibits great potential in photoelectric applications. However, their photoresponse is generally limited to the UV region due to the wide bandgap feature of most perovskite ferroelectric materials, while the narrowing of bandgap is often accompanied by the degradation or even extinction of the ferroelectric polarization. Herein, 0.5Ba(Zr_0.2Ti_0.8)O₃-0.5(Ba_0.7Ca_0.3)TiO₃ (BZT-BCT) with bandgap of 2.4 eV arising from the existence of Ti³⁺ is prepared, and then titanium vacancies are introduced to BZT-BCT ferroelectric solid solutions through B-site off-stoichiometry (0.5Ba(Zr_0.2Ti_0.8)O₃-0.5(Ba_0.7Ca_0.3)Ti_{1 − x%}O₃, BZT-BCT_{1 − x%}) to further tune the bandgap. Lowest bandgap of 2.1 eV with near-infrared (NIR) absorption is obtained for BZT-BCT_0.990 composition. Moreover, both the ferroelectricity and piezoelectricity (P_r = 14.3 μC/cm², d₃₃ = 415 pC/N) are well maintained after mitigating the effect of the increased oxygen vacancies associated with Ti-deficiency on the spontaneous polarization by oxygen-annealing treatment. More specifically, the oxygen-annealing BZT-BCT_0.985 composition, showing at least 2.4-fold photovoltage and 2.2-fold photocurrent of the pristine BZT-BCT ceramic, exhibits excellent transient pyroelectric current and stable photovoltaic current under xenon, NIR, and monochromatic visible lights. The photoelectric device based on the oxygen-annealing BZT-BCT_0.985 ceramic performs wide-spectrum photodetection properties from 405 nm light to NIR light, which makes it a potential candidate for self-powered photodetector applications.     

Lead-free BiFeO3 film on glass fiber fabric: Wearable hybrid piezoelectric-triboelectric nanogenerator

Constructing hybrid nanogenerators (NGs) based on triboelectric effect and piezoelectric effect can combine the merits of the individual type of NG thus have drawn great attention in flexible wearable electronics. Herein, we prepared flexible BiFeO₃ (BFO) film in a simple and cost-effective way, which was used to fabricate a wearable hybrid piezoelectric-triboelectric nanogenerator (H–P/TENG) with silk fiber. By optimizing the experimental conditions, the highest open-circuit voltage of 110 V and short-circuit current density of 3.67 μA/cm² were achieved under 1 Hz contact-separation movement. The device also showed the best output power density of 151.42 μW/cm² with load resistance of 250 MΩ. Stimulating by moving body, the fabricated H–P/TENG successively realized the harvest and conversion of mechanical energy into electric energy, demonstrating great potential to monitor posture and establish a self-powered system. Moreover, the proposed H–P/TENG exhibited great stable output after 1800 contact-separation cycles, indicating the outstanding structure stability and fatigue resistance. This work will provide not only a facile and viable way to realize the application of ferroelectric materials in H–P/TENG but also new opportunities for developing monitor posture and self-powered systems.     

Fabrication of an eco-friendly composite nanogenerator for self-powered photosensor applications

We report the fabrication of a biocompatible, eco-friendly composite nanogenerator for a self-powered ultraviolet (UV) photosensor. The composite nanogenerator, which consisted of ZnO nanowires and reduced graphene oxide in a polydimethylsiloxane matrix, generated an average peak-to-peak output voltage and current of 15.5 V and 2.26 μA, respectively, with an output power of 35.03 μW under palm impact. Under a periodic foot stamp, an output voltage and current of 5.5 V and 0.63 μA, respectively, were observed. A large-area composite nanogenerator (11 × 10 cm²) was fabricated; the device delivered a maximum output voltage and current of 35 V and 4 μA, respectively. Further, we have demonstrated the capability of the composite nanogenerator to power light-emitting diodes, segmented displays, and liquid-crystal displays. Finally, we constructed a self-powered UV photosensor by combining our composite nanogenerator with a ZnO nanowire photodetector.     

Thin layer drying kinetics of Gundelia tournefortii L.

The literature surveyed revealed that the drying kinetics of Gundelia tournefortii has not been investigated. In this study, mathematical modeling of the thin layer drying kinetics of G. tournefortii is investigated for both the microwave and open sun drying conditions. Five different microwave power levels ranging from 90 to 800 W were used for the microwave drying. Solar radiation for the open sun drying varied from 350 to 1100 W/m². Drying took place in the falling rate period. Increasing the microwave power caused a significant decrease in drying time. The experimental moisture loss data were fitted to the 14 thin layer drying models. Among the models proposed, the Midilli model precisely represented the microwave drying behavior of G. tournefortii with the coefficient of determination higher than 0.996 and mean square of deviation (χ²), root mean square error (RMSE) and mean bias error (MBE) lower than 1.82 × 10^?4, 12 × 10^?3 and 1.4 × 10^?4, respectively for all the microwave drying conditions studied. Values of drying constant (k) were in the range of 0.0098–0.2943 min^?1 and the effective moisture diffusivities (D_eff) of G. tournefortii ranged from 5.5 × 10^?8 to 3.5 × 10^?7 m²/s. The values of k and D_eff increased with the increase of microwave power level. The logarithmic model was found to best describe the open sun drying kinetics of G. tournefortii. The effective diffusivity of G. tournefortii under the sun drying condition was determined as 2.48 × 10^?10 m²/s.     

Isoelectronic Re-Ge-codoped higher manganese silicides with enhanced thermoelectric properties via band optimization,charge transfer,and phonon scattering

Higher manganese silicide (HMS) is a naturally abundant, environmentally friendly, and mechanically robust P-type thermoelectric (TE) semiconductor. Isoelectronic doping elements Re and Ge are used to partially occupy cation (Mn) and anion (Si) sites, respectively. Compared with the single Re-doped strategy, TE performance is further improved in the isoelectronic double-doped Mn_0.96Re_0.04(Si_0.96Ge_0.04)_1.79 composition. The electrical conductivity (∼54.2 × 10³ S m^–1 at 823 K) is double that of pure HMS (∼26.1 × 10³ S m^–1), whereas the power factor increases from ∼1.42 × 10^–3 W m^–1 K^–2 to ∼1.80 × 10^–3 W m^–1 K^–2 due to the increase in carrier concentration caused by the decreased band gap (from 0.82 eV to 0.74 eV), as well as the embedding of the Si, Ge nanodispersions with low work functions. Furthermore, the substitution of Re and Ge increases the amounts of lattice defects, and the presence of nanoscale Ge precipitates cause the broadband phonon-scattering effect in the HMS matrix. Finally, the lattice thermal conductivity at 673 K decreases from ∼2.18 W m^–1 K^–1 to ∼1.60 W m^–1 K^–1. The zT value at 823 K increases by ∼36% from 0.45 to 0.61. The strategy of cation and anion double doping can effectively improve the TE properties of materials, which has significance for the optimization of other materials.     

Self-driven heterostructure photodetector of sputtered CZTS film on c-Si with an inverted pyramid structure

Ag has been incorporated into the CZTS film through post-doping by magnetron sputtering to decrease the Cu_Zn anti-site defect. Efforts have been dedicated to optimize the Ag sputtering time and 60 s will be the best as surveyed from the SEM, XRD and Raman spectra. Then the broad-band self-driven heterostructure photodetector has been manufactured by combining the CZTS and inverted pyramid n-Si (IP n-Si). The device represents the first-rank property under the irradiation of 5 mW, 780 nm LED with 0 V bias with the responsivity and detectivity of 7.2 mA/W and 4.98 × 10¹⁰ Jones respectively. The device can persist excellent linearity when enduring a 40 mW-80 mW, 980 nm NIR laser with 0 V bias. The comprehensive performance becomes the best under the irradiation of a 50 mW laser. The responsivity and detectivity are 1.22 mA/W and 1.98 × 10¹⁰ Jones. The device can also work stably as the laser changes from 1 Hz to 15 kHz. The rise time and decay time are 93.3 μs and 141.0 μs respectively. These results open up an innovative application for CZTS to build a broad-band self-driven photodetector as a window-layer.