Spraying-Deposited Transparent p-Type Sn-Doped CuI Film and Its Ultrahigh-Speed Self-Powered Photodetector

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Optoelectronics
• Semiconductor Physics

Background:

• Developing p-type semiconductors and photodetectors with superior optoelectrical properties is crucial for advanced applications.
• Transparent p-type materials are essential for next-generation electronic devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate transparent p-type copper iodide (CuI) and tin-doped CuI (Cu-Sn-I) films and self-powered photodetectors.
• To investigate the impact of tin doping on the optoelectrical and photoelectric properties of CuI films and photodetectors.
• To demonstrate the potential of Cu-Sn-I/n-Si heterojunction photodetectors for transparent electronics.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of CuI and Cu-Sn-I thin films using the spraying method.
• Characterization of optical, electrical, and photoelectric properties of the fabricated films.
• Construction and testing of Cu-Sn-I/n-Si heterojunction self-powered photodetectors.

Main Results:

• Tin doping significantly enhanced the optical, electrical, and photoelectric properties of CuI thin films.
• The Cu-Sn-I/n-Si photodetector achieved a responsivity of 10.7 mA/W and detectivity of 6.79 × 10¹¹ Jones.
• The photodetector exhibited rapid response times (77 μs rise, 30 μs decay) at 0 V bias, outperforming other CuI-based self-powered UV photodetectors.

Conclusions:

• Tin doping effectively improves the performance of p-type CuI semiconductors and self-powered photodetectors.
• The enhanced properties are attributed to the adjustment of acceptor defect levels and increased hole concentration.
• The developed Cu-Sn-I/n-Si photodetector shows great promise for transparent electronic applications.