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1. The new oxide paradigm for solid state ultraviolet photodetectors

   https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2319505  

   Sandana, Vinod E.; McClintock, Ryan; Razeghi, Manijeh; Harel, Shlomo; Arrateig, X.; Rogers, David J.; Bove, Philippe; Teherani, Ferechteh H.; Frisch, Eran; Teherani, Ferechteh H.; et al (March 2018, Oxide-based Materials and Devices IX)

   The bandgap of wurzite ZnO layers grown on 2 inch diameter c-Al2O3 substrates by pulsed laser deposition was engineered from 3.7 to 4.8 eV by alloying with Mg. Above this Mg content the layers transformed from single phase hcp to mixed hcp/fcc phase before becoming single phase fcc above a bandgap of about 5.5 eV. Metal-Semiconductor-Metal (MSM) photodetectors based on gold Inter-Digitated-Transducer structures were fabricated from the single phase hcp layers by single step negative photolithography and then packaged in TO5 cans. The devices gave over 6 orders of magnitude of separation between dark and light signal with solar rejection ratios (I270 : I350) of over 3 x 105 and dark signals of 300 pA (at a bias of -5V). Spectral responsivities were engineered to fit the “Deutscher Verein des Gas- und Wasserfaches” industry standard form and gave over two decade higher responsivities (14 A/W, peaked at 270 nm) than commercial SiC based devices. Homogeneous Ga2O3 layers were also grown on 2 inch diameter c-Al2O3 substrates by PLD. Optical transmission spectra were coherent with a bandgap that increased from 4.9 to 5.4 eV when film thickness was decreased from 825 to 145 nm. X-ray diffraction revealed that the films were of the β-Ga2O3 (monoclinic) polytype with strong (-201) orientation. β-Ga2O3 MSM photodetectors gave over 4 orders of magnitude of separation between dark and light signal (at -5V bias) with dark currents of 250 pA and spectral responsivities of up to 40 A/W (at -0.75V bias). It was found that the spectral responsivity peak position could be decreased from 250 to 230 nm by reducing film thickness from 825 to 145 nm. This shift in peak responsivity wavelength with film thickness (a) was coherent with the apparent bandgap shift that was observed in transmission spectroscopy for the same layers and (b) conveniently provides a coverage of the spectral region in which MgZnO layers show fcc/hcp phase mixing. 

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2. Enhancing room-temperature gas sensing performance of metal oxide semiconductor chemiresistors through 400 nm UV photoexcitation

   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.snr.2024.100194  

   Paul, Suporna; Mendoza, Emily Resendiz; To, Dung_Thi Hanh; Stahovich, Thomas F; Schaefer, Jennifer; Myung, Nosang V (June 2024, Sensors and Actuators Reports)

   One of the most significant drawbacks of metal oxide (MOS) based chemiresistive gas sensors is the requirement of high operating temperature (250–450 °C), which results in significant power consumption and shorter lifetime. To develop room temperature (21±2 °C) MOS chemiresistive gas sensors, the sensing performance of different MOS nanostructures (i.e., tin (IV) oxide (SnO2) nanoparticles (NPs), indium (III) oxide (In2O3) NPs, zinc oxide (ZnO) NPs, tungsten trioxide (WO3) NPs, copper oxide (CuO) nanotubes (NTs), and indium tin oxide (In90Sn10O3 (ITO)) NPs) were systematically investigated toward different toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) (i.e., nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ammonia (NH3), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) (i.e., acetone (C3H6O), toluene (C6H5CH3), ethylbenzene (C6H5CH2CH3), and p-xylene (C6H4(CH3)2)) in the presence and absence of 400 nm UV light illumination. Sensing performance enhancement through photoexcitation is strongly dependent on the target analytes. Under 400 nm UV photoexcitation at 76.0 mW/cm2 intensity, room temperature (21±2 °C) NO2 sensing was readily achieved where SnO2 NPs exhibited the highest sensor response (S = 474.4 toward 10 ppmm (parts per million by mass)) with good recovery followed by ZnO NPs > In2O3 NPs > ITO NPs. Meanwhile, indirect bandgap n-type WO3 NPs showed limited NO2 sensing performance under illumination, whereas p-type CuO NTs showed relatively good sensing response. The most significant improvements in SnO2 compared to other MOS nanoparticles might be attributed to the highest number of photogeneration electrons, which rapidly reacted with adsorbed species to enhance the reaction kinetics. WO3 NPs showed a unique sensing response toward aromatic compounds (e.g., ethylbenzene and p-xylene) under UV illumination, where maximum sensitivity was achieved under 36 mW/cm2 irradiation. Changing light intensity from 0.0 to 36.4 mW/cm2, WO3 showed 15.4-fold and 6.3-fold enhancement in sensing response toward 25 ppmm ethylbenzene and 100 ppmm p-xylene, respectively. 400 nm optical excitation has a limited effect on the sensing performance toward CO, SO2, toluene, and acetone. 

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3. Growth of nanoporous high-entropy oxide thin films by pulsed laser deposition

   https://doi.org/10.1557/s43578-021-00473-2  

   Guo, Huiming; Wang, Xin; Dupuy, Alexander D.; Schoenung, Julie M.; Bowman, William J. (January 2022, Journal of Materials Research)

   Abstract High-entropy oxides (HEO) with entropic stabilization and compositional flexibility have great potential application in batteries and catalysis. In this work, HEO thin films were synthesized by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) from a rock-salt (Co 0.2 Ni 0.2 Cu 0.2 Mg 0.2 Zn 0.2 )O ceramic target. The films exhibited the target’s crystal structure, were chemically homogeneous, and possessed a three-dimensional (3D) island morphology with connected randomly shaped nanopores. The effects of varying PLD laser fluence on crystal structure and morphology were explored systematically. Increasing fluence facilitates film crystallization at low substrate temperature (300 °C) and increases film thickness (60–140 nm). The lateral size of columnar grains, islands (19 nm to 35 nm in average size), and nanopores (9.3 nm to 20 nm in average size) increased with increasing fluence (3.4 to 7.0 J/cm 2 ), explained by increased kinetic energy of adatoms and competition between deposition and diffusion. Additionally, increasing fluence reduces the number of undesirable droplets observed on the film surface. The nanoporous HEO films can potentially serve as electrochemical reaction interfaces with tunable surface area and excellent phase stability. Graphical abstract 

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4. High‐Detectivity UV–Visible–NIR Broadband Polymer Photodetector with Polymer Charge Blocking Layer Cross‐Linked by Organic Photocrosslinker

   https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202403094  

   Jung, Hyocheol; Nguyen, Tai; Kim, Soyeon; Lee, Jae Woong; Yu, Hyeonggeun; Park, Junsung; Lim, Chanwoo; Lee, Jihoon; Kim, Do Young (June 2024, Advanced Functional Materials)

   Abstract Ultraviolet (UV), visible, and near‐infrared (NIR) broadband organic photodetectors are fabricated by sequential solution‐based thin film coatings of a polymer electron blocking layer (EBL) and a polymer photoactive layer. To avoid damage to a preceding polymer EBL during a subsequent solution‐based film coating of a polymer photoactive layer due to lack of solvent orthogonality, 2‐(((4‐azido‐2,3,5,6‐tetrafluorobenzoyl)oxy)methyl)−2‐ethylpropane‐1,3‐diyl bis(4‐azido‐2,3,5,6‐tetrafluorobenzoate) (FPA‐3F) is used as a novel organic cross‐linking agent activated by UV irradiation with a wavelength of 254 nm. Solution‐processed poly[N,N′‐bis(4‐butylphenyl)‐N,N′‐bis(phenyl)‐benzidine] (poly‐TPD) films, which are cross‐linked with a FPA‐3F photocrosslinker, are used for a preceding polymer EBL. A ternary blend film composed of PTB7‐Th, COi8DFIC, and PC₇₁BM is used as a NIR‐sensitive organic photoactive layer with strong photosensitivity in multispectral (UV–visible–NIR) wavelengths of 300–1,050 nm. Poly‐TPD films are successfully cross‐linked even with a very small amount of 1 wt% FPA‐3F. Small amounts of FPA‐3F have little detrimental effect on the electrical and optoelectronic properties of the cross‐linked poly‐TPD EBL. Finally, organic NIR photodetectors with a poly‐TPD EBL cross‐linked by the small addition of FPA‐3F (1 wt%) show the detectivity values higher than 1 × 10¹²Jones for the entire UV–visible–NIR wavelengths from 300 nm to 1050 nm, and the maximum detectivity values of 1.41 × 10¹³Jones and 8.90 × 10¹²Jones at the NIR wavelengths of 900 and 1000 nm, respectively. 

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5. Two-dimensional tungsten disulfide nanosheets and their application in self-powered photodetectors with ultra-high sensitivity and stability

   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vacuum.2022.111092  

   Ortiz, Wilber; Malca, Carlos; Barrionuevo, Danilo; Aldalbahi, Ali; Pacheco, Elluz; Oli, Nischal; Feng, Peter (July 2022, Vacuum)

   Two-dimensional (2D) tungsten disulfide nanosheets (WS2) could be a promising candidate for high-performance self-powered photodetectors. The present 2D nanosheets were obtained from liquid exfoliation in a mixture of ethanol, methanol, and isopropanol via a direct dispersion and ultrasonication method. Using the spin-coating technique, a thin film of uniform thickness was formed on the SiO2/Si substrate. Energy-dispersive X-ray analysis showed that the S/W ratio in the fabricated WS2 film was around 1.2 to 1.34, indicating certain deficiencies in the S atoms. These S vacancies induce localized states within the bandgap of pristine WS2, resulting in a higher conductivity in the exfoliated sample. The obtained thin film seems to be highly efficient in photoelectric conversion, with a responsivity of ~0.12 mA/W at 670 nm under zero bias voltage, with an intensity of 5.2 mW/cm2. Instead, at a bias of 2 V, it exhibits a responsivity of 12.74 mA/W and a detectivity of 1.17 × 1010 cm Hz1/2 W− 1 at 4.1 mW/cm2. The present 2D nanosheets exhibit high photon absorption in a wide range of spectra from the near infrared (IR) to near UV spectrum. 

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