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Boosted UV Sensitivity of Er-Doped In2O3 Thin Films Using Plasmonic Ag Nanoparticle-Based Surface Texturing

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Ag nanoparticles (NPs) were deposited on the sol-gel-processed Erbium-doped Indium Oxide (In2O3:Er) thin films (TFs) using thermal evaporation cum glancing angle deposition technique for the first time. The grazing incidence X-ray diffraction analysis confirms the presence of a face-centered cubic structure of Ag NPs and monoclinic crystal structure of Ag3O4. The presence of Ag NPs on In2O3:Er TFs reduced the photoluminescence emission intensity. Au/In2O3:Er/Si and Au/In2O3:Er/Ag NPs/In2O3:Er/Si (plasmonic) Schottky contact-based detectors were fabricated. Presence of Ag NPs on the In2O3:Er TFs enhanced the photoconduction for the plasmonic detector. The photoresponsivity of the plasmonic device was ∼ 8.7 times greater than In2O3:Er TF-based device for 380 nm wavelength at an applied bias of − 6.6 V. The plasmonic device showed a maximum internal gain of ~ 3181 at 380 nm wavelength. The plasmonic device possessed higher detectivity and lower noise equivalent power as compared to In2O3:Er TF in the ultraviolet (UV) region. The plasmonic device exhibited excellent temporal response with rise and fall time of ~ 0.25 and ~ 0.12 s, respectively. The admirable characteristics of the simple plasmonic device structure can commercially emerge out as UV detector.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge C.S.I.R. (03(1355)/16/EMR-II), N.I.T. Durgapur, and the govt of India for financial support. The authors are also thankful to Centre of Excellence (COE), N.I.T. Durgapur and Nanofabrication laboratory, I.I.T. Bombay for providing FESEM facility and PL measurement facility, respectively.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, National Institute of Technology Durgapur, Durgapur, 713209, India

    Anupam Ghosh, Shyam Murli Manohar Dhar Dwivedi & Aniruddha Mondal

  2. Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, 400076, India

    Hemant Ghadi & Subhananda Chakrabarti

  3. Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, National Institute of Technology Nagaland, Dimapur, 797103, India

    Paulsamy Chinnamuthu

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  1. Anupam Ghosh
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Correspondence to Aniruddha Mondal.

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Ghosh, A., Dhar Dwivedi, S.M.M., Ghadi, H. et al. Boosted UV Sensitivity of Er-Doped In2O3 Thin Films Using Plasmonic Ag Nanoparticle-Based Surface Texturing. Plasmonics 13, 1105–1113 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11468-017-0679-x

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