Self-Powered Photodetectors with Ultra-Broad Spectral Response and Thermal Stability for Broadband, Energy Efficient Wearable Sensing and Optoelectronics
2025
Peter X. Feng | Elluz Pacheco Cabrera | Jin Chu | Badi Zhou | Soraya Y. Flores | Xiaoyan Peng | Yiming Li | Liz M. Diaz-Vazquez | Andrew F. Zhou
This work presents a high-performance novel photodetector based on two-dimensional boron nitride (BN) nanosheets functionalized with gold nanoparticles (Au NPs), offering ultra-broadband photoresponse from 0.25 to 5.9 &mu:m. Operating in both photovoltaic and photoconductive modes, the device features rapid response times (<:0.5 ms), high responsivity (up to 1015 mA/W at 250 nm and 2.5 V bias), and thermal stability up to 100 °:C. The synthesis process involved CO2 laser exfoliation of hexagonal boron nitride, followed by gold NP deposition via RF sputtering and thermal annealing. Structural and compositional analyses confirmed the formation of a three-dimensional network of atomically thin BN nanosheets decorated with uniformly distributed gold nanoparticles. This architecture facilitates plasmon-enhanced absorption and efficient charge separation via heterojunction interfaces, significantly boosting photocurrent generation across the deep ultraviolet (DUV), visible, near-infrared (NIR), and mid-infrared (MIR) spectral regions. First-principles calculations support the observed broadband response, confirming bandgap narrowing induced by defects in h-BN and functionalization by gold nanoparticles. The device&rsquo:s self-driven operation, wide spectral response, and durability under elevated temperatures underscore its strong potential for next-generation broadband, self-powered, and wearable sensing and optoelectronic applications.
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