We report on a new approach to quickly synthesize high-quality single crystalline wide band gap silicon carbide (SiC) films for development of high-performance deep ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors. The fabricated SiC based UV photodetectors exhibited high response while maintaining cost-effectiveness and size miniaturization. Focus of the experiments was on studies of electrical and electronic properties, as well as responsivity, response and recovery times, and repeatability of the deep UV photodetectors. Raman scattering spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were used to characterize the SiC materials. Analyses of the SEM data indicated that highly flat SiC thin films have been obtained. Based on the synthesized SiC, deep UV detectors are designed, fabricated, and tested with various UV wavelength lights at different radiation intensities. Temperature effect and bias effect on the photocurrent strength and signal-to-noise ratio, humidity effect on the response time and recovery time of the fabricated detectors have been carefully characterized and discussed. The detectors appear to have a very stable baseline and repeatability. The obtained responsivity is more than 40% higher compared to commercial detectors. The good performance of the photodetectors at operating temperature up to 300 °C remains nearly unchanged.

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In this communication, we report on the synthesis of few atomic-layer boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) and their application for deep ultraviolet photo-detection. Synthesis of BNNSs is carried out by using the short-pulse plasma beam deposition technique. High-resolution tunneling electron microscopy, cathodoluminescence spectroscopy and photo-stimulated measurements are conducted and linked to characterize the BNNS morphology. The obtained BNNSs are flat with a typical size of 50 × 50 μm(2) and are optically transparent down to 210 nm. Nanoscale studies by transmission electron microscopy revealed that these nanosheets are composed of a densely packed honeycomb crystal lattice structure of covalently bonded boron and nitrogen atoms. Cathodoluminescence spectroscopy of these nanosheets revealed a single sharp excitonic peak centered at 233 nm at 300 K. The synthesized BNNSs are used to demonstrate applicability of BNNSs for detecting ultraviolet photons. The initial experimental tests of the developed prototype BNNSs based deep-ultraviolet photo-detector show that it is blind to photons with an energy less than 4 eV. The calculated output power of the detector is approximately 2 μW and the ratio between the output electrical power and the input optical power is ∼1%.

Abstract:The electrical conductivity of extrinsically conducting polymer composite systems passes through a transition state known as percolation threshold. A discussion has been made on how different Sigmoidal models (S-models), such as Sigmoidal-Boltzmann (SB), Sigmoidal-Dose Response (SD), Sigmoidal-Hill (SH), Sigmoidal-Logistic (SL), and Sigmoidal-Logistic-1 (SL-1), can be applied to predict the percolation threshold of electrical conductivity for ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) and acrylonitrile butadiene copolymer (NBR) conducting composite systems filled with different carbon fillers. An interesting finding that comes from these observations is that the percolation threshold for electrical conductivity determined by SB and SD models are similar, whereas, the other models give different result when estimated for a particular composite system. This similarity and discrepancy in the results of percolation threshold have been discussed by considering the strength, weakness, and limitation of the models. The percolation threshold value for the composites has also been determined using the classical percolation theory and compared with the sigmoidal models. Moreover, to check the universal applicability, these Sigmoidal models have also been tested on results from some published literature. Finally, it is revealed that, except SL-1 model, the remaining models can successfully be used to determine the percolation threshold of electrical conductivity for extrinsically conductive polymer composites.

We report low-temperature synthesis of large-scale boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) and their applications for high-performance Schottky diode and gas sensor. Ten minutes of synthesis with a short-pulse-laser-produced plasma deposition technique yields a large amount of highly flat, transparent BNNSs. A basic reason for using short-pulse plasma beams is to avoid nanosheet thermal ablation or have low heat generated. Consequently, it greatly reduces the stress and yield large, flat BNNSs. The average size of obtained BNNS is around 10 μm and thickness is around 1.7 nm. Carbon element has been used for doping BNNSs and achieving BNNSs-based Schottky diode and gas sensing device. Typical current versus voltage characteristics of diode are examined. The breakdown reverse voltage is around -70 V. This probably indicates that the breakdown electric field of BNNSs-based diode is up to 1 × 10(8) V/cm. Sensing behavior of BNNSs-based gas sensor toward methane diluted with dry air is also characterized. The response time and recovery time are around 3 and 5 s at the operating temperature of 150 °C. Relatively, the sensor has poor sensitivity to oxygen gas.