Investigating UV photodetector capabilities of Pd-functionalized NiO thin films with interdigitated Pt electrodes

Abstract

In this study, Palladium functionalized NiO thin films (Pd/NiO) were successfully deposited using a sputtering technique for the photodetector application. FESEM and EDX analysis were performed to confirm the morphology and the presence of constituent elements in the Pd/NiO films. The defect states and surface chemistry were analyzed using XPS, and PL measurements. The Pd/NiO thin film exhibited excellent responsivity (∼ 62 mA/W) and detectivity (∼ 31.7 × 106 Jones) at a low power density of 200 µW/cm2 in the UV range (∼ 355 nm). Additionally, the low Noise Equivalent Power (NEP) of ∼ 1.78 × 10-9 WHz−1/2 at 200 μW indicates the Pd/NiO photodetector capability to effectively detect light signals even at low optical power for various applications.