Ultra-Fast Gallium Oxide Solar-Blind Photodetector with Novel Thermal Pulse Treatment.

Luo, Lili; Huang, Hong; Yang, Lu; Hao, Rui; Hu, Xiaoliang; Li, Yingtao; Zhao, Xiaolong; Zhang, Zemin et al. · Adv Mater · 2025

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Gallium oxide (Ga<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>) emerges as a promising solar-blind photodetector (SBPD) material if the "Response Speed (RS) dilemma" can be resolved. Devices with spatially segregated carrier generation and transport channels offer a potential solution but remain less available. This work introduces a novel thermal pulse treatment (TPT) method to achieve a vertically stratified crystalline structure and oxygen vacancies (V<sub>O</sub>) throughout the Ga<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> film, validated through extensive characterizations. Technology Computer-Aided Design (TCAD) simulations corroborated the critical role of V<sub>O</sub> stratification in enhancing the responsivity (R<sub>λ</sub>) and response speed simultaneously. Consequently, the TPT-processed SBPD exhibited exceptional performance, boasting a maximum  R<sub>λ</sub> of 312.6 A W<sup>-1</sup> and a faster decay time of 40 µs, respectively. Moreover, the corresponding SBPD chips show significant potential for applications in solar-blind imaging, light trajectory tracking, and solar-blind power meters. This work thus provides a viable strategy to address the "RS dilemma" common in most wide-bandgap materials, showcasing excellent application value.