High-performance photodetectors based on Sb₂S₃ nanowires: wavelength dependence and wide temperature range utilization

Abstract

Photodetectors which can work at both low and high temperatures are very important for the development of practical optoelectronic devices. Many studies have shown that low-dimensional semiconductors have more advantages in optoelectronic applications than their bulk forms. Here, we report the preparation of high-quality Sb₂S₃ nanowires (NWs) by a sulphur-assisted vapour transport method. The corresponding individual Sb₂S₃ NW based photodetectors exhibit good photoresponse in a wide spectral range from about 300 to 800 nm. The optimal photoresponse values are measured under the illumination of a 638 nm laser at room temperature: a high current ON/OFF ratio of about 210, a spectral responsivity of 1152 A W^-1, a detectivity of 2 × 10¹³ Jones, and rise and fall times of about 37 ms, respectively. More importantly, the temperature dependence of the electrical conductivity of Sb₂S₃ shows three variation regions which can be attributed to the interaction between the carrier mobility and carrier concentration. The temperature dependence of the photoresponse of the photodetectors shows that they have good adaptability to temperature, and they worked very well at a wide temperature range from 8 to 420 K. Our results indicate that low-dimensional Sb₂S₃ crystals are promising candidates for new multifunctional optoelectronic devices.