Van der Waals semiconductor based self-powered transparent broadband photodetector

Abstract

Van der Waals (vdW) semiconductors have attracted significant research interest owing to their tunable electrical and optical properties. The thin layer structure and high optical transparency of vdW semiconductors make them suitable for use in transparent optoelectronics. Broadband and transparent photodetection are crucial requirements for the development of next-generation optoelectronics. In this study, we fabricate a self-powered transparent photodetector consisting of a vdW semiconductor (SnS) and a wide-bandgap oxide (Ga2O3) thin film. The device is transparent, exhibiting average visible transmittance of 45%. The self-biased transparent photodetector showed a photovoltaic behavior under illumination, with a significant open circuit voltage of 496 mV and a considerably high short-circuit current density of 1.7 mA/cm2. The device exhibited a significant photoresponse under UV (340 nm) to NIR (850 nm) illumination. Moreover, it showed a remarkable responsivity of 210.4 mA/W and the fastest response time of ∼8 ms, making it a self-operated broadband transparent photodetector.