Self-Powered Infrared Photodetectors with Ultra-High Speed and Detectivity Based on Amorphous Cu-Based MOF Films

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Optoelectronics

Background:

• Amorphous metal-organic frameworks (aMOFs) present unique properties compared to crystalline MOFs.
• Existing synthesis methods for aMOFs often require stringent conditions.
• The potential applications of aMOFs, particularly in optoelectronics, require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simple and effective method for synthesizing amorphous metal-organic frameworks (aMOFs).
• To explore the properties of a novel p-type amorphous Cu-HHTP material.
• To fabricate and characterize self-powered infrared photodetectors (PDs) based on the new material.

Main Methods:

• Electrostatic spinning was employed to synthesize highly transparent p-type amorphous Cu-HHTP films.
• A p-a-Cu-HHTP/n-Si heterojunction was fabricated for infrared photodetector applications.
• The performance of the photodetector was evaluated under various conditions, including high temperatures and mechanical bending.

Main Results:

• The synthesized material was identified as p-type amorphous Cu-HHTP (p-a-Cu-HHTP).
• A self-powered p-a-Cu-HHTP/n-Si infrared photodetector achieved ultra-high speed (40 μs response time) and detectivity (1.2 × 10¹² Jones).
• The photodetector demonstrated excellent thermal stability up to 180 °C and mechanical stability in flexible devices after 120 bending cycles.

Conclusions:

• A facile electrostatic spinning method enables the fabrication of amorphous metal-organic frameworks (aMOFs).
• The developed p-a-Cu-HHTP material and its derived photodetectors exhibit record-breaking performance for MOF-based devices.
• These findings open new avenues for organic-inorganic hybrid optoelectronics, especially for wearable applications.