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Band Engineering Solar-Blind Ultraviolet Photodetectors: Breaking the Sensitivity-Speed Trade-off

Hongbin Wang, Peng Li and Jiangang Ma

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 Corresponding author: Peng Li, lip032@nenu.edu.cn; Jiangang Ma, majg@nenu.edu.cn

DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/26010031CSTR: 32376.14.1674-4926.26010031

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[1]
Chen X H, Ren F F, Gu S L, et al. Review of gallium-oxide-based solar-blind ultraviolet photodetectors. Photon Res, 2019, 7(4): 381 doi: 10.1364/PRJ.7.000381
[2]
Cai Q, You H F, Guo H, et al. Progress on AlGaN-based solar-blind ultraviolet photodetectors and focal plane arrays. Light Sci Appl, 2021, 10: 94 doi: 10.1038/s41377-021-00527-4
[3]
Zheng W, Jia L M, Huang F. Vacuum-ultraviolet photon detections. iScience, 2020, 23(6): 101145 doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101145
[4]
Imran A, Zhu Q H, Sulaman M, et al. Electric-dipole gated two terminal phototransistor for charge-coupled device. Adv Opt Mater, 2023, 11(22): 2300910
[5]
Wu C, Wu F M, Hu H Z, et al. Review of self-powered solar-blind photodetectors based on Ga2O3. Mater Today Phys, 2022, 28: 100883 doi: 10.1016/j.mtphys.2022.100883
[6]
Yang J L, Liu K W, Chen X, et al. Recent advances in optoelectronic and microelectronic devices based on ultrawide-bandgap semiconductors. Prog in Quantum Electron, 2022, 83: 100397 doi: 10.1016/j.pquantelec.2022.100397
[7]
Xie C, Lu X T, Tong X W, et al. Recent progress in solar-blind deep-ultraviolet photodetectors based on inorganic ultrawide bandgap semiconductors. Adv Funct Mater, 2019, 29: 1806006
[8]
Wang J J, Chen Z Y, Ji X Q, et al. Anisotropic Ga2O3 nanograting with photonic and band engineering enables high-sensitivity solar-blind photodetectors. Adv Opt Mater, 2025, 13(32): e02309
[9]
Chen M Z, Ma J G, Li P, et al. Zero-biased deep ultraviolet photodetectors based on graphene/cleaved (100) Ga2O3 heterojunction. Opt Express, 2019, 27(6): 8717 doi: 10.1364/OE.27.008717
[10]
Wang K, Wu Z C, Tong H C, et al. Development and challenges of Ga2O3–based heterojunctions for deep-UV detectors. ACS Photonics, 2025, 12(9): 4851 doi: 10.1021/acsphotonics.5c01288
[11]
Chen Y F, Wang Y, Wang Z, et al. Unipolar barrier photodetectors based on van der Waals heterostructures. Nat Electron, 2021, 4(5): 357 doi: 10.1038/s41928-021-00586-w
[12]
Zhang S K, Jiao H X, Chen Y, et al. Multi-dimensional optical information acquisition based on a misaligned unipolar barrier photodetector. Nat Commun, 2024, 15: 7071 doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-51378-7
[13]
Zhang Q Y, Li N, Zhang T, et al. Enhanced gain and detectivity of unipolar barrier solar blind avalanche photodetector via lattice and band engineering. Nat Commun, 2023, 14: 418 doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-36117-8
[14]
Dong J Q, Wan P, Xia W, et al. 1D Core@Dual-shell radial heterojunction for unipolar barrier solar-blind avalanche photodetector. Adv Funct Mater, 2025, 35(13): 2417865
[15]
Wang H B, Zhou C, Li P, et al. High-sensitivity and fast-response solar-blind photodetectors via band offset engineering for motion tracking. Nat Commun, 2025, 16: 8175 doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-63683-w
Fig. 1.  (Color online) (a) Band diagram of the nBn unipolar barrier structure with a large conduction-band barrier, in which the photoinduced holes pass along the valence band while the electrons in the contact layer are impeded by the barrier layer. Inset: the corresponding band diagram of the nBn unipolar barrier under the flat-band condition. EF, EV and EC are the Fermi level, maximum valence band and minimum conduction band, respectively. (b) Band diagram of the pBp unipolar barrier structure with a large valence-band barrier, where the photoinduced electrons flow through the conduction band while the holes are impeded by the designed barrier layer. Inset: the corresponding band diagram under the flat-band condition[11].

Fig. 2.  (Color online) (a) Band diagram of Ga2O3/MgO/Nb:STO heterostructure in equilibrium conditions and (b) in avalanche condition. (c) Illustration of the avalanche process in the nBn unipolar barrier APDs[13]. (d) Band diagram of ZnO/HfO2/Ga2O3 heterojunction in equilibrium condition. (e) Electric potential distribution of ZnO/HfO2/Ga2O3 based APD under reverse bias. (f) Band diagram of ZnO/HfO2/Ga2O3 heterojunction in operation condition[14]. (g) Band alignment of AlGaN:Si/AlN and AlN/Ga2O3 interfaces in the absence of polarization effects. (h) Electric field profile across the Ga2O3/AlN/AlGaN:Si heterojunction under the polarization. (i) Energy band diagram illustrating the photodetection mechanism of the Ga2O3/AlN/AlGaN:Si heterojunction[15].

[1]
Chen X H, Ren F F, Gu S L, et al. Review of gallium-oxide-based solar-blind ultraviolet photodetectors. Photon Res, 2019, 7(4): 381 doi: 10.1364/PRJ.7.000381
[2]
Cai Q, You H F, Guo H, et al. Progress on AlGaN-based solar-blind ultraviolet photodetectors and focal plane arrays. Light Sci Appl, 2021, 10: 94 doi: 10.1038/s41377-021-00527-4
[3]
Zheng W, Jia L M, Huang F. Vacuum-ultraviolet photon detections. iScience, 2020, 23(6): 101145 doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101145
[4]
Imran A, Zhu Q H, Sulaman M, et al. Electric-dipole gated two terminal phototransistor for charge-coupled device. Adv Opt Mater, 2023, 11(22): 2300910
[5]
Wu C, Wu F M, Hu H Z, et al. Review of self-powered solar-blind photodetectors based on Ga2O3. Mater Today Phys, 2022, 28: 100883 doi: 10.1016/j.mtphys.2022.100883
[6]
Yang J L, Liu K W, Chen X, et al. Recent advances in optoelectronic and microelectronic devices based on ultrawide-bandgap semiconductors. Prog in Quantum Electron, 2022, 83: 100397 doi: 10.1016/j.pquantelec.2022.100397
[7]
Xie C, Lu X T, Tong X W, et al. Recent progress in solar-blind deep-ultraviolet photodetectors based on inorganic ultrawide bandgap semiconductors. Adv Funct Mater, 2019, 29: 1806006
[8]
Wang J J, Chen Z Y, Ji X Q, et al. Anisotropic Ga2O3 nanograting with photonic and band engineering enables high-sensitivity solar-blind photodetectors. Adv Opt Mater, 2025, 13(32): e02309
[9]
Chen M Z, Ma J G, Li P, et al. Zero-biased deep ultraviolet photodetectors based on graphene/cleaved (100) Ga2O3 heterojunction. Opt Express, 2019, 27(6): 8717 doi: 10.1364/OE.27.008717
[10]
Wang K, Wu Z C, Tong H C, et al. Development and challenges of Ga2O3–based heterojunctions for deep-UV detectors. ACS Photonics, 2025, 12(9): 4851 doi: 10.1021/acsphotonics.5c01288
[11]
Chen Y F, Wang Y, Wang Z, et al. Unipolar barrier photodetectors based on van der Waals heterostructures. Nat Electron, 2021, 4(5): 357 doi: 10.1038/s41928-021-00586-w
[12]
Zhang S K, Jiao H X, Chen Y, et al. Multi-dimensional optical information acquisition based on a misaligned unipolar barrier photodetector. Nat Commun, 2024, 15: 7071 doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-51378-7
[13]
Zhang Q Y, Li N, Zhang T, et al. Enhanced gain and detectivity of unipolar barrier solar blind avalanche photodetector via lattice and band engineering. Nat Commun, 2023, 14: 418 doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-36117-8
[14]
Dong J Q, Wan P, Xia W, et al. 1D Core@Dual-shell radial heterojunction for unipolar barrier solar-blind avalanche photodetector. Adv Funct Mater, 2025, 35(13): 2417865
[15]
Wang H B, Zhou C, Li P, et al. High-sensitivity and fast-response solar-blind photodetectors via band offset engineering for motion tracking. Nat Commun, 2025, 16: 8175 doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-63683-w
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    Received: 02 February 2026 Revised: 16 February 2026 Online: Accepted Manuscript: 13 March 2026

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      Hongbin Wang, Peng Li, Jiangang Ma. Band Engineering Solar-Blind Ultraviolet Photodetectors: Breaking the Sensitivity-Speed Trade-off[J]. Journal of Semiconductors, 2026, In Press. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/26010031 ****H B Wang, P Li, and J G Ma, Band Engineering Solar-Blind Ultraviolet Photodetectors: Breaking the Sensitivity-Speed Trade-off[J]. J. Semicond., 2026, accepted doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/26010031
      Citation:
      Hongbin Wang, Peng Li, Jiangang Ma. Band Engineering Solar-Blind Ultraviolet Photodetectors: Breaking the Sensitivity-Speed Trade-off[J]. Journal of Semiconductors, 2026, In Press. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/26010031 ****
      H B Wang, P Li, and J G Ma, Band Engineering Solar-Blind Ultraviolet Photodetectors: Breaking the Sensitivity-Speed Trade-off[J]. J. Semicond., 2026, accepted doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/26010031

      Band Engineering Solar-Blind Ultraviolet Photodetectors: Breaking the Sensitivity-Speed Trade-off

      DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/26010031
      CSTR: 32376.14.1674-4926.26010031
      More Information
      • Hongbin Wang is a postdoctoral fellow at the School of Physics, Northeast Normal University. His research focuses on the Ga2O3 photodetectors
      • Peng Li received his Ph.D. degree in Northeast Normal University. He is currently an associate professor of School of Physics, Northeast Normal University. His research focuses on the optoelectronic properties and devices of wide-bandgap oxide and nitride semiconductors
      • Jiangang Ma received his Ph.D degree in Northeast Normal University. He is currently a professor of School of Physics, Northeast Normal University. His research focuses on the wide-bandgap semiconductor materials and optoelectronic devices
      • Corresponding author: lip032@nenu.edu.cnmajg@nenu.edu.cn
      • Received Date: 2026-02-02
      • Revised Date: 2026-02-16
      • Available Online: 2026-03-13

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