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Graphene photodetectors with ultra-broadband and high responsivity at room temperature

Nature Nanotechnology volume 9, pages 273–278 (2014)Cite this article

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Abstract

The ability to detect light over a broad spectral range is central to several technological applications in imaging, sensing, spectroscopy and communication1,2. Graphene is a promising candidate material for ultra-broadband photodetectors, as its absorption spectrum covers the entire ultraviolet to far-infrared range3,4. However, the responsivity of graphene-based photodetectors has so far been limited to tens of mA W−1 (refs 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) due to the small optical absorption of a monolayer of carbon atoms. Integration of colloidal quantum dots in the light absorption layer can improve the responsivity of graphene photodetectors to ∼1 × 107 A W−1 (ref. 11), but the spectral range of photodetection is reduced because light absorption occurs in the quantum dots. Here, we report an ultra-broadband photodetector design based on a graphene double-layer heterostructure. The detector is a phototransistor consisting of a pair of stacked graphene monolayers (top layer, gate; bottom layer, channel) separated by a thin tunnel barrier. Under optical illumination, photoexcited hot carriers generated in the top layer tunnel into the bottom layer, leading to a charge build-up on the gate and a strong photogating effect on the channel conductance. The devices demonstrated room-temperature photodetection from the visible to the mid-infrared range, with mid-infrared responsivity higher than 1 A W−1, as required by most applications12. These results address key challenges for broadband infrared detectors, and are promising for the development of graphene-based hot-carrier optoelectronic applications.

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Figure 1: Graphene double-layer heterostructure photodetectors.
Figure 2: Photoresponse of the graphene double-layer heterostructures in the visible region.
Figure 3: Photoexcited hot carrier tunnelling in graphene double-layer heterostructures.
Figure 4: Near- to mid-infrared photoresponse of the graphene/silicon/graphene heterostructure photodetector.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank C.Y. Sung for discussions. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Center for Photonic and Multiscale Nanomaterials (DMR 1120923) and by a NSF CAREER Award (ECCS-1254468). Devices were fabricated in the Lurie Nanofabrication Facility at the University of Michigan, a member of the NSF National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network.

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  1. Chang-Hua Liu and You-Chia Chang: These authors contributed equally to this work

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan, 1301 Beal Avenue, Ann Arbor, 48109, Michigan, USA

    Chang-Hua Liu, Theodore B. Norris & Zhaohui Zhong

  2. Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, 1006 Gerstacker Building, 2200 Bonisteel Boulevard, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA

    You-Chia Chang & Theodore B. Norris

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  1. Chang-Hua Liu
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  4. Zhaohui Zhong
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Contributions

C.L., Z.Z. and T.N. conceived the experiments. C.L. fabricated the devices. C.L. and Y.C. performed the measurements. All authors discussed the results and co-wrote the manuscript.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Theodore B. Norris or Zhaohui Zhong.

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The University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, along with the authors, has filed provisional patents on the technology and intellectual property reported here (patent application number US 61/778,716; title: Photodetector based on double layer heterostructures).

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Liu, CH., Chang, YC., Norris, T. et al. Graphene photodetectors with ultra-broadband and high responsivity at room temperature. Nature Nanotech 9, 273–278 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2014.31

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