Laser-induced lateral voltage in epitaxial Al-doped ZnO thin films on tilted sapphire

Laser-induced voltage effects in epitaxial Al-doped ZnO thin films on tilted sapphire have been experimentally studied at room temperature. An open-circuit lateral voltage signal with nanosecond response time was observed when the film surface was irradiated by laser pulses of 308 nm and 1064 nm, and the voltage responsivity of the signal for 308-nm irradiation is much higher than that for 1064-nm irradiation. A mechanism based on the thermoelectric effect is proposed to explain the origin of the laser-induced lateral voltage in this system. The result suggests that the Al-doped ZnO thin films have a potential application in wide-band photodetectors from ultraviolet to near infrared.