Vacuum-Ultraviolet Photovoltaic Detector

Abstract

Over the past two decades, solar- and astrophysicists and material scientists have been researching and developing new-generation semiconductor-based vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) detectors with low power consumption and small size for replacing traditional heavy and high-energy-consuming microchannel-detection systems, to study the formation and evolution of stars. However, the most desirable semiconductor-based VUV photovoltaic detector capable of achieving zero power consumption has not yet been achieved. With high-crystallinity multistep epitaxial grown AlN as a VUV-absorbing layer for photogenerated carriers and p-type graphene (with unexpected VUV transmittance >96%) as a transparent electrode to collect excited holes, we constructed a heterojunction device with photovoltaic detection for VUV light. The device exhibits an encouraging VUV photoresponse, high external quantum efficiency (EQE) and extremely fast tempera response (80 ns, 10-10 times faster than that of the currently reported VUV photoconductive devices). This work has provided an idea for developing zero power consumption and integrated VUV photovoltaic detectors with ultrafast and high-sensitivity VUV detection capability, which not only allows future spacecraft to operate with longer service time and lower launching cost but also ensures an ultrafast evolution of interstellar objects.

Growth of Ultraflat PbI2 Nanoflakes by Solvent Evaporation Suppression for High‐Performance UV Photodetectors

“…A lot of proof‐of‐concept devices incorporating 2D materials have been designed aiming at solving the conflict between critical size reduction and performance improvement of the photodetectors . There have been some impressive researches focusing on 2D UV photodetectors that involve wide bandgap semiconductors . However, most of the studies have concentrated upon the visible light detection since most of the 2D semiconductors own a moderate bandgap between 1.0 and 2.0 eV .…”

High-sensitive and fast response to 255 nm deep-UV light of CH 3 NH 3 PbX 3 (X = Cl, Br, I) bulk crystals

“…As another determinant of detector performance, external quantum efficiency (EQE) is defined as the number of generated electrons per incident photon. EQE equals to Rhc/eλ , where h is the Planck's constant, c is the velocity of light, and λ is the wavelength of incident light [34,44]. Illuminated under 255 nm light with power intensity of 5.23 mW cm −2 , EQE is 219% for CH 3 NH 3 PbCl 3 , 146% for CH 3 NH 3 PbBr 3 and 58% for CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 , respectively.…”

Structural Engineering of Dispersed Graphene Flakes into ZnO Nanotubes on Discontinues Ultra‐Nanocrystalline Diamond Substrates for High‐Performance Photodetector with Excellent UV Light to Dark Current Ratios

“…Besides, the photocurrent increases with time under the UV on/off cycles of ZnTs/UNCD when compared to other devices (such as ZnTs, GrF-ZnTs, and GrF-ZnTs/UNCD). [26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33] In addition, excellent dispersion of GrF on surface of ZnTs potentially contributes to the high photocurrent because well-etched ZnTs surface on UNCD interlayer also enhance light absorption. Figure 8 shows the photoresponsivity curve of ZnTs, GrF-ZnTs, ZnTs-UNCD, and GrF-ZnTs/UNCD, respectively.…”