Stretchable photosensors with InN nanowires operating at a wavelength of 1.3 μm

Stretchable photosensors, which operate in the wavelength window of 1.3 μm, were fabricated with InN nanowires (NWs) and graphene to serve as a light-absorbing medium and carrier channel, respectively. Specifically, the stretchable photosensors were fabricated by transferring InN NWs embedded in graphene layers onto polyurethane substrates pre-stretched at the strain levels of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60%. An InN-NW photosensor fabricated at the pre-strain level of 50% and stretched at the strain of 50% produces a photocurrent of 0.144 mA, which corresponds to 76.2% of that (0.189 mA) measured in the released state. The photocurrent and photoresponsivity of the photosensor measured after 1000 cyclic-stretching tests are comparable to those measured before stretching. The performance of the stretchable photosensors was largely unaffected by parameters such as the relative humidity and duration of operation (up to 30 days), indicating that the devices operate very stably.