ZnTe Nanowires:Controllable Doping And Surface Plasma Enhanced Photoelectric Detection Application

Over the past decade, one dimensional (1-D) semiconductor nanostructures with high aspect ratio, such as nanowires (NWs), nanoribbons (NRs), nanotubes (NTs) and multi-branched structures, have attracted considerable research interest because of their novel physical and chemical properties. Among the huge semiconductor nanostructures family, Ⅱ-Ⅵ group semiconductor nanomaterials ZnTe has received special attention and research, due to its unique optical properties. However, the intrinsic ZnTe NWs usually exhibits poor optoelectronic properties due to its high resistivity, limiting its application in the field of optoelectronic devices. In this article, we used two methods to improve the photoelectric characteristics of ZnTe NWs. First, controlled doping of ZnTe NWs has completed by employing Ga/Ga2O3 as dopant via a simple thermal evaporation method, greatly increased its light and dark current; then use gold nanoparticles modified ZnTe NWs by solution method, utilized surface plasmon resonance effect increase the light absorption of ZnTe NWs. After doping and modified, the light response of ZnTe NWs become more sensitive, and more suitable for the preparation of photovoltaic device.So far, the properties of photovoltaic device based on intrinsic ZnTe NWs still unsatisfactory, therefore, we build two different photodetectors used the ZnTe:Ga NWs/graphene Schottky junction and the ZnTe NWs after gold particles modified. After analyzed, two photodetectors exhibit very good stability and reproducibility. In addition, the spectral responsivities and detectivities of ZnTe:Ga NW/graphene Schottky devices calculated to be 4.17×103 A/W and 3.19×1013cmHz1/2W-1, while the photodetector of ZnTe after gold particles modified reached 5.11×103 AW1 and 3.28×1013cmHz1/2W-1. The response rate and detection capabilities of two novel photodetector have been greatly improved compared with the intrinsic ZnTe nanowires. Finally, it is expected that the ZnTe NWs by Ga doping and gold particles modified are promising building blocks for fabricating higher performance nano-optoelectronic devices in the future.