A Comprehensive Review of One-Dimensional Metal-Oxide Nanostructure Photodetectors

One-dimensional (1D) metal-oxide nanostructures are ideal systems for exploring a large number of novel phenomena at the nanoscale and investigating size and dimensionality dependence of nanostructure properties for potential applications. The construction and integration of photodetectors or optical switches based on such nanostructures with tailored geometries have rapidly advanced in recent years. Active 1D nanostructure photodetector elements can be configured either as resistors whose conductions are altered by a charge-transfer process or as field-effect transistors (FET) whose properties can be controlled by applying appropriate potentials onto the gates. Functionalizing the structure surfaces offers another avenue for expanding the sensor capabilities. This article provides a comprehensive review on the state-of-the-art research activities in the photodetector field. It mainly focuses on the metal oxide 1D nanostructures such as ZnO, SnO2, Cu2O, Ga2O3, Fe2O3, In2O3, CdO, CeO2, and their photoresponses. The review begins with a survey of quasi 1D metal-oxide semiconductor nanostructures and the photodetector principle, then shows the recent progresses on several kinds of important metal-oxide nanostructures and their photoresponses and briefly presents some additional prospective metal-oxide 1D nanomaterials. Finally, the review is concluded with some perspectives and outlook on the future developments in this area

Growth and characterization of PbI2-decorated ZnO nanowires for photodetection applications

Financial support provided by Scientific Research Project for Students and Young Researchers Nr. SJZ/2017/1 realized at the Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia is greatly acknowledged. The authors are grateful to Liga Bikse for XRD measurements.In this study, we demonstrated for the first time the growth of ZnO nanowires (NWs) decorated with highly crystalline few-layer PbI2 and fabricated two-terminal single-nanowire photodetector devices to investigate the photoelectric properties of the hybrid nanostructures. We developed a novel two-step growth process for uniform crystalline PbI2 nanosheets via reactive magnetron deposition of a lead oxide film followed by subsequent iodination to PbI2 on a ZnO NW substrate, and we compared as-grown hybrid nanostructures with ones prepared via thermal evaporation method. ZnO–PbI2 NWs were characterized by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis and photoluminescence measurements. By fabricating two-terminal single-nanowire photodetectors of the as-grown ZnO–PbI2 nanostructures, we showed that they exhibit reduced dark current and decreased photoresponse time in comparison to pure ZnO NWs and have responsivity up to 0.6 A/W. Ab initio calculations of the electronic structure of both PbI2 nanosheets and ZnO NWs have been performed, and show potential for photoelectrocatalytic hydrogen production. The obtained results show the benefits of combining layered van der Waals materials with semiconducting NWs to create novel nanostructures with enhanced properties for applications in optoelectronics or X-ray detectors.ISSP UL SJZ/2017/1; Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia as the Center of Excellence has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework Programme H2020-WIDESPREAD-01-2016-2017-TeamingPhase2 under grant agreement No. 739508, project CAMART

Ultraviolet Sensors Based on Two-Dimensional Zinc Oxide Structures

In this chapter, we review the application of zinc oxide (ZnO) in ultraviolet (UV) sensing and emphasise on the two-dimensional (2D) ZnO structures. The synthesis of 2D ZnO structures, the morphologies, and the photoluminescence emission will be reviewed and highlighted. The performance of the UV sensors based on 2D ZnO structures is explored. The lack in the study of the 2D ZnO UV sensors might be due to the difficulties of controlling the growth of the 2D ZnO compared to the one-dimensional (1D) ZnO structures

Quantum-kinetic perspective on photovoltaic device operation in nanostructure-based solar cells

The implementation of a wide range of novel concepts for next-generation high-efficiency solar cells is based on nanostructures with configuration-tunable optoelectronic properties. On the other hand, effective nano-optical light-trapping concepts enable the use of ultra-thin absorber architectures. In both cases, the local density of electronic and optical states deviates strongly from that in a homogeneous bulk material. At the same time, non-local and coherent phenomena like tunneling or ballistic transport become increasingly relevant. As a consequence, the semi-classical, diffusive bulk picture conventionally assumed may no longer be appropriate to describe the physical processes of generation, transport, and recombination governing the photovoltaic operation of such devices. In this review, we provide a quantum-kinetic perspective on photovoltaic device operation that reaches beyond the limits of the standard simulation models for bulk solar cells. Deviations from bulk physics are assessed in ultra-thin film and nanostructure-based solar cell architectures by comparing the predictions of the semi-classical models for key physical quantities such as absorption coefficients, emission spectra, generation and recombination rates as well as potentials, densities and currents with the corresponding properties as given by a more fundamental description based on non-equilibrium quantum statistical mechanics. This advanced approach, while paving the way to a comprehensive quantum theory of photovoltaics, bridges simulations at microscopic material and macroscopic device levels by providing the charge carrier dynamics at the mesoscale.Comment: 22 pages, 8 figures; review article based on an invited talk at the MRS Spring Meeting 2017 in Phoeni

ZnO-Based Ultraviolet Photodetectors

Ultraviolet (UV) photodetection has drawn a great deal of attention in recent years due to a wide range of civil and military applications. Because of its wide band gap, low cost, strong radiation hardness and high chemical stability, ZnO are regarded as one of the most promising candidates for UV photodetectors. Additionally, doping in ZnO with Mg elements can adjust the bandgap largely and make it feasible to prepare UV photodetectors with different cut-off wavelengths. ZnO-based photoconductors, Schottky photodiodes, metal–semiconductor–metal photodiodes and p–n junction photodetectors have been developed. In this work, it mainly focuses on the ZnO and ZnMgO films photodetectors. We analyze the performance of ZnO-based photodetectors, discussing recent achievements, and comparing the characteristics of the various photodetector structures developed to date

Three Dimensional Nanowire Array Piezo-phototronic and Piezo-photo-magnetotronic Sensors

Piezotronic and piezo-phototronic is a burgeoning field of study which emerges from the coupling of intrinsic materials properties exhibited by non-centrosymmetric semiconductors. In the past decade research efforts were mainly focused on the wurtzite family of 1D nanostructures, with major emphasis on ZnO nanowire nanogenerators, MS piezotronic transistors, LEDs and photodetectors mainly integrated on single nanowires. In view of previously known advantages of charge carrier separation in radial heterojunctions, particularly in type-II core/shell nanowires, it can be anticipated that the performance of photosensing devices can be largely enhanced by piezo-phototronic effect. Moreover, the performance metrics can be further improved in an array of nanowires where geometrical feature enabled multiple reflection can efficiently trap incident illumination. The crux of this dissertation lies in the development of 3D type-II core/shell nanowire array based piezo-phototronic device and also to investigate the effect of magnetic field on ZnO nanowire arrays based piezotronic and piezo-phototronic device for new class of sensors. In this regard, prototype piezo-phototronic broadband photodetectors integrated on two material systems, namely type-II CdSe/ZnTe 3D core/shell nanowire arrays and fully wide band gap type-II ZnO/ZnS 3D core/shell nanowire arrays have been developed where the photodetection performance of each device exhibits high sensitivity, fast response and large responsivity. The application of piezo-phototronic effect further improves the device performance by three to four orders of magnitude change numerically calculated from absolute responsivities at multiple wavelengths. A 3D ZnO nanowire array based new class of piezo-photo-magnetotronic sensor is also developed for detection of pressure, illumination and magnetic field suggesting multiple functionality of a single device where more than one effect can be coupled together to exhibit piezo-magnetotronic or piezo-photo-magnetotronic type of device behavior

Overcoming the Bandwidth-Quantum Efficiency Trade-Off in Conventional Photodetectors

Optical systems and microwave photonics applications rely heavily on high-performance photodetectors having a high bandwidth-efficiency product. The main types of photodetector structures include Schottky and PIN-photodiodes, heterojunction phototransistors, avalanche photodetectors, and metal-semiconductor-metal photodetectors. Vertically-illuminated photodetectors intrinsically present bandwidth-efficiency limitations, but these have been mitigated by new innovations over the years in quantum well photodetectors, edge-coupled photodetectors and resonant-cavity enhanced photodetectors for improved photophysical characteristics. Edge-coupled ultra-high-speed photodetectors have yielded high conversion efficiencies, and the active device structure of resonant-cavity-enhanced photodetectors allows wavelength selectivity and optical field enhancement due to resonance, enabling photodetectors to be made thinner and hence faster, while simultaneously increasing the quantum efficiency at the resonant wavelengths. Single-photon avalanche diodes have been developed, which combine an ultimate sensitivity with excellent timing accuracy. Further advances in addressing the bandwidth-quantum efficiency trade-off have incorporated photon-trapping nanostructures and plasmonic nanoparticles. Nanowire photodetectors have also demonstrated the highest photophysical performance to date

Three Dimensional Nanowire Array Piezo-phototronic and Piezo-photo-magnetotronic Sensors

Piezotronic and piezo-phototronic is a burgeoning field of study which emerges from the coupling of intrinsic materials properties exhibited by non-centrosymmetric semiconductors. In the past decade research efforts were mainly focused on the wurtzite family of 1D nanostructures, with major emphasis on ZnO nanowire nanogenerators, MS piezotronic transistors, LEDs and photodetectors mainly integrated on single nanowires. In view of previously known advantages of charge carrier separation in radial heterojunctions, particularly in type-II core/shell nanowires, it can be anticipated that the performance of photosensing devices can be largely enhanced by piezo-phototronic effect. Moreover, the performance metrics can be further improved in an array of nanowires where geometrical feature enabled multiple reflection can efficiently trap incident illumination. The crux of this dissertation lies in the development of 3D type-II core/shell nanowire array based piezo-phototronic device and also to investigate the effect of magnetic field on ZnO nanowire arrays based piezotronic and piezo-phototronic device for new class of sensors. In this regard, prototype piezo-phototronic broadband photodetectors integrated on two material systems, namely type-II CdSe/ZnTe 3D core/shell nanowire arrays and fully wide band gap type-II ZnO/ZnS 3D core/shell nanowire arrays have been developed where the photodetection performance of each device exhibits high sensitivity, fast response and large responsivity. The application of piezo-phototronic effect further improves the device performance by three to four orders of magnitude change numerically calculated from absolute responsivities at multiple wavelengths. A 3D ZnO nanowire array based new class of piezo-photo-magnetotronic sensor is also developed for detection of pressure, illumination and magnetic field suggesting multiple functionality of a single device where more than one effect can be coupled together to exhibit piezo-magnetotronic or piezo-photo-magnetotronic type of device behavior