Self-Powered UV Photodetector Utilizing Plasmonic Hot Carriers in 2D α-MoO3/Ir/Si Schottky Heterojunction Devices

Self-powered UV sensing has enormous potential in military and civilian applications. However, achieving high responsivity and fast response/recovery time presents significant challenges. Self-powered photodetectors (PDs) have several advantages over traditional PDs, including higher sensitivity, lower power consumption, and simpler design. This study introduces a breakthrough self-powered PD that uses a Schottky junction of 2D α-MoO3/iridium (Ir)/Si ultrathin film to detect 365 nm light at 0 V bias through using atomic layer deposition (ALD) and sputtering systems. The PD response is enhanced by plasmonic Ir-induced hot carriers, enabling detection in a mere 0.1 ms. Incorporating a 4 nm Ir layer boosts the responsivity from 0 to 34 A W−1, and the external quantum efficiency is elevated from 0 to 7E11 under 365 nm light illumination. It also has a high ION/IOFF ratio of 11.22E4 at 0 V. These results make the MoO3/4 nm Ir/Si structure an interesting option for self-powered PDs with high efficiency, and the use of a simple ALD system for large-scale fabrication of 2D α-MoO3 on hot carrier Ir plasmonic layer. The findings of this research hold tremendous promise in the field of UV sensing and can lead to exciting developments in military and civilian technology.