Description
Ultrasensitive photodetectors empowered by self-powered capability are pivotal aspects of modern technology that underpins numerous applications spanning across aerospace, life sciences, and environmental monitoring. Despite significant advances in photodetectors, strategies integrating the thermo-pyro-phototronic effects to modulate the generation and transport of charge carriers for photoresponse enhancement, particularly under harsh environment conditions remain underexplored. This study proposes an innovative self-powered ultraviolet (UV) photodetector comprising stacked multi-layer of 4H-SiC with a novel concentric ring electrodes architecture, enabling charge carriers’ confinement and maximizing their collection by suppressing lateral diffusion losses. The photodetector operating zero-bias shows remarkable performance at 300 nm of UV light (10 mW/cm2) achieving a photoresponsivity of 39.75 V/W, and specific detectivity of 1.43 × 1012 Jones at room temperature with conventional photovoltaic signal. Under repeated UV on/off cycles, an observable upsurge in thermo-photovoltage is depicted. An increased temperature intensifies periodic lattice vibrations that enriches phonon population and associated flux and enhances electron-phonon interaction followed by the greater heat transport and thermal expansion, facilitating stronger optical absorption and improved photoresponsivity under thermo-pyro-phototronic coupled effect. The photodetection parameters substantially leveraged to 107.34 V/W and 2.04 × 1012 Jones under thermo-pyro-phototronics indicating improved performance by 170% and 42.7%, respectively. Additionally, the photodetector outcome in shorter rise and decay times of 4.48 ms and 4.08 ms, respectively. Further, the device testing under repeated on/off switching of UV irradiation (2 mW/cm2) for 1278 cycles measured at 300 K and 600 K demonstrates negligible output voltage degradation, with retentivity of 99.35%, and 97.78%, respectively, validating its exceptional multi-cycle operational stability even under harsh environments. The simple photodetector device with confined architecture and exceptional photoresponse demonstrates its potential in energy harvesters, advanced sensors, and micro/nano-electromechanical systems, and offer pathways for next-generation optoelectronic devices.
| I am the presenting author | Yes |
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