Direct ZnO X-Ray Detector with Tunable Sensitivity

Direct ZnO x-ray detectors with tunable sensitivity are realized by delicately controlling the oxygen flux during the sputtering deposition process. The photocurrents induced by x-rays from a 40 kV x-ray tube with a Cu anode increase apparently as the oxygen flux decreases, which is attributed to the introduction of V_o detects.By introducing V_o defects, the annihilation rate of the photo-generated electron-hole pairs will be greatly slowed down, leading to a remarkable photoconductive gain. This finding informs a novel way to design the x-ray detectors based on abundant oxide materials.     

Enhanced photoresponse performance in Ga/Ga_2O_3 nanocomposite solar-blind ultraviolet photodetectors

In the present work, we explore the solar-blind ultraviolet(UV) photodetectors(PDs) with enhanced photoresponse,fabricated on Ga/Ga_2O_3 nanocomposite films. Through pre-burying metal Ga layers and thermally post-annealing the laminated Ga2 O3/Ga/Ga_2O_3 structures, Ga/Ga_2O_3 nanocomposite films incorporated with Ga nanospheres are obtained. For the prototype PD, it is found that the photocurrent and photoresponsivity will first increase and then decrease monotonically with the thickness of the pre-buried Ga layer increasing. Each of all PDs shows a spectrum response peak at 260 nm, demonstrating the ability to detect solar-blind UV light. Adjustable photoresponse enhancement factors are achieved by means of the surface plasmon in the nanocomposite films. The PD with a 20 nm thick Ga interlayer exhibits the best solar-blind UV photoresponse characteristics with an extremely low dark current of 8.52 p A at 10-V bias, a very high light-to-dark ratio of ～ 8 × 10~5, a large photoresponsivity of 2.85 A/W at 15-V bias, and a maximum enhancement factor of ～ 220. Our research provides a simple and practical route to high performance solar-blind UV PDs and potential applications in the field of optoelectronics.