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Carbon Photodetectors: The Versatility of Carbon Allotropes
Author(s) -
Richter Moses,
Heumüller Thomas,
Matt Gebhard J.,
Heiss Wolfgang,
Brabec Christoph J.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
advanced energy materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.08
H-Index - 220
eISSN - 1614-6840
pISSN - 1614-6832
DOI - 10.1002/aenm.201601574
Subject(s) - materials science , graphene , photodetector , photodetection , carbon nanotube , nanotechnology , carbon fibers , semiconductor , fullerene , optoelectronics , chemistry , organic chemistry , composite number , composite material
Carbon‐based organic electronics are a technology, with the potential of complementing and substituting opto‐electronic devices based on inorganic semiconductors and metals. In the group of organic semiconductors, carbon allotropes come with outstanding opto‐electric properties and are remarkable candidates for novel applications like printed electronics via solution‐processing on mechanically flexible, robust and light weight substrates, while reducing the environmental impact. Carbon allotropes like fullerenes, graphene quantum dots (GQD), carbon nanotubes (CNT), graphene and also diamond are especially interesting for photodetectors due to their tunable bandgap, high absorption coefficients and high charge carrier mobilites. These unique opto‐electric properties of the allotropes, which strongly depend on their molecular dimensionality (0D, 1D, 2D and 3D), allow each allotrope to be used in a preferential range. Hence, relying on the intrinsic properties of carbon allotropes or by hybridization, carbon‐based photodetectors are built for a spectral bandwidth, reaching from gamma‐rays to THz radiation. This review highlights the recent advances in photodetectors based on fullerenes, GQDs, CNTs, graphene and diamond, with the focus on room temperature‐operated devices. The versatility of multi‐dimensional carbon allotropes is outstanding, and promising results outline the maturing of all carbon‐based photodetection across the technologically relevant wavelengths.