Multidimensional Perovskites for High Detectivity Photodiodes

Low-dimensional perovskites attract increasing interest due to tunable optoelectronic properties and high stability. Here, it is shown that perovskite thin films with a vertical gradient in dimensionality result in graded electronic bandgap structures that are ideal for photodiode applications. Positioning low-dimensional, vertically-oriented perovskite phases at the interface with the electron blocking layer increases the activation energy for thermal charge generation and thereby effectively lowers the dark current density to a record-low value of 5 × 10−9 mA cm−2 without compromising responsivity, resulting in a noise-current-based specific detectivity exceeding 7 × 1012 Jones at 600 nm. These multidimensional perovskite photodiodes show promising air stability and a dynamic range over ten orders of magnitude, and thus represent a new generation of high-performance low-cost photodiodes

A high-resolution thin-film fingerprint sensor using a printed organic photodetector

Organic photodetectors (OPDs) have attracted much attention in recent years, due to their promise in large-area light sensing applications. Here, high-resolution slot-die-coated large-area bulk heterojunction organic photodiode (OPD) arrays are reported. The OPD uses a novel electron transport layer, indium gallium zinc oxide in combination with a molybdenum oxide top-electrode. Together, these effectively reduce dark current densities to very low levels of ≈10−7 mA cm−2 at −2 V. The OPDs show linear behavior in a wide range of light intensities and high detectivity values under reverse bias conditions. When coated on a 508 ppi TFT backplane, a high-quality optical fingerprint scanner capable of imaging in reflection is realized. The optical and electrical properties of the fingerprint sensor are characterized and high-resolution fingerprint images are obtained

High-accuracy photoplethysmography array using near-infrared organic photodiodes with ultralow dark current

Reflectance oximeters based on organic photodiode (OPD) arrays offer the potential to map blood pulsation and oxygenation via photoplethysmography (PPG) over a large area and beyond the traditional sensing locations. Here, an organic reflectance PPG array based on 16 × 16 OPD pixels is developed. The individual pixels exhibit near-infrared sensitivity up to ≈950 nm and low dark current density in the order of 10−6 mA cm−2. This results in high-quality PPG signals. Analysis of the full PPG waveform yields insight on the artery stiffness and the quality of blood circulation, demonstrating the potential of these arrays beyond pulse oximetry and heart-rate calculation

Multilevel information storage in ferroelectric polymer memories

Multibit memory devices based on the ferroelectric copolymer P(VDF-TrFE) (poly-(vinylidenefluoride-trifluoroethylene)) are presented. Multilevel microstructures are fabricated by thermal imprinting of spin-coated ferroelectric polymer film using a rigid Si template. Multibit storage in capacitors and thin-film transistor memory is realized by implementing imprinted ferroelectric polymer films as the insulator and gate dielectric layers, respectively

Origin and Energy of Intra-Gap States in Sensitive Near-Infrared Organic Photodiodes

Trap states in organic semiconductors are notoriously detrimental to the performance of organic electronics. However, the origin and energetics of trap states remain largely elusive and under debate, especially for bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) photodiodes consisting of electron donor and acceptor materials. Combining three sensitive techniques now enables locating the origin and energy of trap states in six state-of-the-art polymer – non-fullerene acceptor organic photodiodes (OPDs) with noise-based specific detectivities exceeding 1013 Jones. Analyzing the temperature dependence of the reverse-bias dark current density (Jd) identifies intra-gap states in the polymers, lying 0.3−0.4 eV above the energy of the highest occupied molecular orbital, as being responsible for Jd. Sub-bandgap external quantum efficiency spectra of donor-only and acceptor-only diodes confirm that intra-gap states are much more abundant in the polymers. Likewise, responsivity measurements at ultra-low light intensities (10−7 mW cm−2) show trap-mediated charge recombination in BHJ and polymer-only diodes, but not in acceptor-only devices. The results imply that to further improve the specific detectivity of near-infrared OPDs, the intra-gap state energy, and density need to be reduced.</p

Ultralow dark current in near-infrared perovskite photodiodes by reducing charge injection and interfacial charge generation

Metal halide perovskite photodiodes (PPDs) offer high responsivity and broad spectral sensitivity, making them attractive for low-cost visible and near-infrared sensing. A significant challenge in achieving high detectivity in PPDs is lowering the dark current density (JD) and noise current (in). This is commonly accomplished using charge-blocking layers to reduce charge injection. By analyzing the temperature dependence of JD for lead-tin based PPDs with different bandgaps and electron-blocking layers (EBL), we demonstrate that while EBLs eliminate electron injection, they facilitate undesired thermal charge generation at the EBL-perovskite interface. The interfacial energy offset between the EBL and the perovskite determines the magnitude and activation energy of JD. By increasing this offset we realized a PPD with ultralow JD and in of 5 × 10−8 mA cm−2 and 2 × 10−14 A Hz−1/2, respectively, and wavelength sensitivity up to 1050 nm, establishing a new design principle to maximize detectivity in perovskite photodiodes

Vitality surveillance at distance using thin-film tandem-like narrowband near-infrared photodiodes with light-enhanced responsivity

Remote measurement of vital sign parameters like heartbeat and respiration rate represents a compelling challenge in monitoring an individual’s health in a noninvasive way. This could be achieved by large field-of-view, easy-to-integrate unobtrusive sensors, such as large-area thin-film photodiodes. At long distances, however, discriminating weak light signals from background disturbance demands superior near-infrared (NIR) sensitivity and optical noise tolerance. Here, we report an inherently narrowband solution–processed, thin-film photodiode with ultrahigh and controllable NIR responsivity based on a tandem-like perovskite-organic architecture. The device has low dark currents (150 dB, and operational stability over time (>8 hours). With a narrowband quantum efficiency that can exceed 200% at 850 nm and intrinsic filtering of other wavelengths to limit optical noise, the device exhibits higher tolerance to background light than optically filtered silicon-based sensors. We demonstrate its potential in remote monitoring by measuring the heart rate and respiration rate from distances up to 130 cm in reflection

organic ferroelectric/semiconducting nanowire hybrid layer for memory storage

Ferroelectric materials are important components of sensors, actuators and non-volatile memories. However, possible device configurations are limited due to the need to provide screening charges to ferroelectric interfaces to avoid depolarization. Here we show that, by alternating ferroelectric and semiconducting nanowires over an insulating substrate, the ferroelectric dipole moment can be stabilized by injected free charge carriers accumulating laterally in the neighboring semiconducting nanowires. This lateral electrostatic coupling between ferroelectric and semiconducting nanowires offers new opportunities to design new device architectures. As an example, we demonstrate the fabrication of an elementary non-volatile memory device in a transistor-like configuration, of which the source-drain current exhibits a typical hysteretic behavior with respect to the poling voltage. The potential for size reduction intrinsic to the nanostructured hybrid layer offers opportunities for the development of strongly miniaturized ferroelectric and piezoelectric devices.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe