Lateral Polymer Photodetectors Using Silver Nanoparticles Promoted PffBT4T-2OD:PC61BM Composite

The fabrication of lateral polymer photodetectors (L-PPDs) is rarely reported in literature. Unlike vertical photodiode or phototransistor, it would be much more difficult to experimentally improve all of the performance metrics in lateral structure under long channel without compromising any of them. The performance metrics include charge separation, photomultiplication, trapped-charge relaxation, dark current, fast response and so on. In this research, L-PPDs with comparable performance to photodiodes were developed, and the photodetectors have the structure of quartz/Ag-NPs (1 nm)/ PMMA (30 nm)/PffBT4T-2OD:PC61BM (D/A ratio = 1:1.2; 140 nm)/Ag–Ag electrodes. A phase control of BHJ allows effective electrons to be trapped under high PCBM ratio, which simultaneously gives high charge separation and photomultiplication (gain = 161.5 at a current density of 73 mA/cm2). Moreover, photogenerated electrons trapped in active layer can be neutralized by photoinduced holes stored in Ag-NPs, resulting in an obvious decrease of dark current (specific detectivity, 5.26 × 1014 Jones; response time of rise and decay, 10–20 ms). The novel lateral topology of PPDs, which is similar to the architecture of inorganic photodetectors, has promising application potential.