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Low-dimensional wide-bandgap semiconductors for UV photodetectors

Nature Reviews Materials volume 8, pages 587–603 (2023)Cite this article

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Abstract

Accurate UV light detection is a crucial component in modern optoelectronic technologies. Current UV photodetectors are mainly based on wide-bandgap semiconductors (WBSs), such as III–V semiconductors. However, conventional WBSs have reached a bottleneck of low integration and inflexibility. In this regard, low-dimensional WBSs, which have suitable UV absorption, tunable performance and good compatibility, are appealing for diversified UV applications. UV photodetectors based on low-dimensional WBSs have broad application prospects in imaging, communication, multispectral and/or weak light detection and flexible and wearable electronics. This Review focuses on the progress, open challenges and outlook in the field of UV photodetectors on the basis of low-dimensional WBSs. We examine how material design, dimensionality engineering and device engineering of WBSs can control their morphological structures and properties and attempt to clarify the interplay among material growth, device structure and application scenarios.

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Fig. 1: Applications and development of UV photodetectors.
Fig. 2: Ordered assembly of large-area single-crystalline low-dimensional wide-bandgap semiconductors and their basic mechanisms.
Fig. 3: Dimensionality engineering and tunable optoelectronic performance.
Fig. 4: Device designs for UV photodetectors.
Fig. 5: Perspectives on UV photodetectors based on low-dimensional wide-bandgap semiconductors.

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Acknowledgements

The work was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (No. 2022YFA1402904), National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos 62204047, 92263106, 12061131009 and 12211530438) and the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (No. 21520712600 and 19520744300).

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  1. These authors contributed equally: Ziqing Li, Tingting Yan.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shanghai Frontiers Science Research Base of Intelligent Optoelectronics and Perception, Institute of Optoelectronics, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China

    Ziqing Li & Xiaosheng Fang

  2. Department of Materials Science, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China

    Tingting Yan & Xiaosheng Fang

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  1. Ziqing Li
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Z.L. and T.Y. contributed equally to this work. X.F. supervised the manuscript. All authors contributed to the discussion of content, writing and editing of the manuscript before submission.

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Correspondence to Xiaosheng Fang.

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Li, Z., Yan, T. & Fang, X. Low-dimensional wide-bandgap semiconductors for UV photodetectors. Nat Rev Mater 8, 587–603 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41578-023-00583-9

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