Self-Powered and Broadband Photodetectors Based on High-performance Mixed Dimensional SbO/PdTe/Si Heterojunction for Multiplex Environmental Monitoring.

Solar-blind ultraviolet (SBUV) to near-infrared (NIR) broadband photodetectors (BB-PD) have important applications in environmental monitoring and other applications. However, it is challenging to prepare SBUV-IR photosensitive materials via simple steps and to construct SBUV-IR broadband devices for multiplex detection with high sensitivity at different wavelengths. Here, self-powered and broadband photodetectors using a high-performance mixed dimensional SbO nanorod 1-dimension (1D)/monodisperse microdiamond-like PdTe 3-dimension (3D)/Si (3D) heterojunction for multiplex detection of environmental pollutants with high sensitivity at broadband wavelength are developed. The 1D/3D mixed dimensional SbO/PdTe/Si structure combines the advantages of strong light absorption, high carrier transport efficiency of 1D SbO nanorods, and expansion of interface barrier caused by 3D microdiamond-like PdTe interlayer to improve the photocurrent density and self-powered ability. The efficient photogenerated charge separation enables anon/off ratio of more than 5 × 10. The device exhibits excellent photoelectric properties from 255 to 980 nm with the responsivity from 4.56 × 10 to 6.55 × 10 AW, the detectivity from 2.36 × 10 to 3.39 × 10 Jones, and the sensitivity from 3.90 × 10 to 1.10 × 10 cm W without external bias. Finally, the proposed device is applied for the multiplex monitoring of environmental pollution gases NO with the detection limit of 200 ppb and PM particles at mild pollution at broadband wavelength. The proposed BB-PD has great potential for multiplex detection of environmental pollutants and other analytes at broadband wavelength.