Ag nanoparticle decorated β-Ga2O3 nanowires on Si substrates: advancing photodetector technology

Abstract

In this study, we present the fabrication of Ag nanoparticle (NP) decorated β-Ga2O3 nanowire (NW) on a Si-substrate, with a focus on their application in photodetection. The resulting Ag NP decorated β-Ga2O3 NW exhibited a polycrystalline morphology characterized by well-aligned rows of vertically oriented structures. The mean size of the crystallites was revealed to be approximately 15.94 nm. The fabrication of Ag NP decorated β-Ga2O3 NW displayed uniformity, with an average length of approximately ∼180 nm. The UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy analysis yielded an approximate optical bandgap value of 4.74 eV. Notably, the fabricated photodetector exhibited excellent performance characteristics. This was highlighted by the minimal dark current of −3.2 nA at a bias voltage of −1 V, accompanied by an I L/I D ratio exceeding 50. Moreover, the photodetector demonstrated rapid rise and fall times of 0.023 s and 0.021 s, respectively. The remarkable aspect lies in the simultaneous attainment of minimum dark current and swift response times. The Ag NP-decorated β-Ga2O3 NW photodetector exhibited consistent and reproducible behavior, suggesting its potential for realistic use in ultraviolet photodetection.