Light and gas dual-function detection and mutual enhancement based on hyperdoped black silicon

Abstract

We introduce a unique dual-function detector with an asymmetric light illumination based on the black silicon co-hyperdoped with sulfur and nitrogen for light and gas detection, and the properties in NO2 gas sensing and photoelectric detection are studied under various light and gas environments, respectively. Enhanced performance of the device under certain light and gas conditions is observed. When illuminated at the optimal wavelength, the gas sensors’ responsivity to NO2 can be enhanced by approximately 5 to 200 times over 730 nm illumination, respectively. The photodetectors’ photoresponsivity increases 15 to 200 times in a 300 ppm NO2 gas environment compared to air. Such mutual enhancement achieved through the clever combination of light and gas implies a novel approach to improve the performance of the black silicon detectors in both gas sensing and photoelectric detection.