High-Performance Ultraviolet Photodetector Based on Graphene Quantum Dots Decorated ZnO Nanorods/GaN Film Isotype Heterojunctions

• Main Authors: Deshuai Liu, Hui-Jun Li, Jinrao Gao, Shuang Zhao, Yuankun Zhu, Ping Wang, Ding Wang, Aiying Chen, Xianying Wang, Junhe Yang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: SpringerOpen 2018-08-01
• Series: Nanoscale Research Letters
• Subjects: ZnO nanorod arrays; Graphene quantum dots; Heterojunction; UV photodetector
• Online Access: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s11671-018-2672-5

Abstract A novel isotype heterojunction ultraviolet photodetector was fabricated by growing n-ZnO nanorod arrays on n-GaN thin films and then spin-coated with graphene quantum dots (GQDs). Exposed to UV illumination with a wavelength of 365 nm, the time-dependent photoresponse of the hybrid detectors manifests high sensitivity and consistent transients with a rise time of 100 ms and a decay time of 120 ms. Meanwhile, an ultra-high specific detectivity (up to ~ 1012 Jones) and high photoresponsivity (up to 34 mA W−1) are obtained at 10 V bias. Compared to the bare heterojunction detectors, the excellent performance of the GQDs decorated n-ZnO/n-GaN heterostructure is attributed to the efficient immobilization of GQDs on the ZnO nanorod arrays. GQDs were exploited as a light absorber and act like an electron donor to effectively improve the effective carrier concentration in interfacial junction. Moreover, appropriate energy band alignment in GQDs decorated ZnO/GaN hybrids can also be a potential factor in facilitating the UV-induced photocurrent and response speed.