Pyro-phototronic effect enhanced broadband photodetection based on CdS nanorod arrays by magnetron sputtering

In this work, self-powered photodetectors (PDs) based on RF magnetron sputtering-fabricated CdS nanorod arrays and polished Si substrates were prepared for the first time. By introducing the pyro-phototronic effect of wurtzite CdS, the self-powered PDs exhibit a broadband response range from UV (365 nm) to IR (1310 nm) at zero bias, even beyond the bandgap limit of the material. Both the photoresponsivity and specific detectivity are also enhanced by 23.3 times compared with those only based on the photovoltaic effect. In addition, the rise and fall times of self-powered PDs are 70 μs and 90 μs under 980 nm laser illumination. This research not only expands the application of CdS nanostructures in the field of pyro-phototronics, but also greatly enriches the preparation methods of CdS based pyro-phototronics materials.