Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A simple and efficient visible light photodetector based on Co3O4/ZnO composite

  • Published:
Optical and Quantum Electronics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Herein, we propose for the first time visible light photodetector based on n-type ZnO nanorods decorated with p-type Co3O4 nanowires. The heterojunction was fabricated on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) glass substrate by low temperature aqueous chemical growth method. ZnO exhibits nanorod morphology and cobalt oxide possesses nanowire shape with sharp tail. Energy dispersive spectroscopy confirmed the presence of Zn, O, and Co elements in the heterojunction. ZnO and Co3O4 have hexagonal and cubic phases, respectively, as confirmed by XRD. The dense and perpendicular ZnO nanorods are acting as a scattering layer for visible light, while Co3O4 nanowires act as a visible-light absorber. The all oxide p–n junction can operate as visible light photodetector. Furthermore, the heterojunction also shows a reproducible and fast response for the detection of visible light. Optimization of the device is needed (presence of buffer layers, tuning a thickness of the optical absorber) to improve its functionalities.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Barreca, D., Massignan, C.: Composition and microstructure of cobalt oxide thin films obtained from a novel cobalt(II) precursor by chemical vapor deposition. Chem. Mater. 13, 588–599 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, C., Buysman, A., Kelder, E., Schoonman, J.: Electrostatic spray deposition of thin layers of cathode materials for lithium battery. Solid State Ionics 80, 1261–1282 (1995a)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, C., Buysman, A., Kelder, E., Schoonman, J.: Solid State Ionics Special Issues. Solid State Ionics 13, 80–91 (1995b)

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen, H., Liu, K., Hu, L., Ghamdi, A., Fang, X.: Ultraviolet detectors based on wide bandgap semiconductor nanowire: a review. Mater. Today 18, 493–502 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, C., Ouyang, W., Yang, W., Fang, X.: Recent progress of heterojunction ultraviolet photodetectors: materials, integrations, and applications. Adv. Funct. Mater. 30, 1909–1923 (2020)

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen, J., Wu, X., Selloni, A.: Electronic structure and bonding properties of cobalt oxide in the spinel structure. Phys. Rev. b. 83, 2452–2465 (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  • Cheng, C., Serizawa, M., Sakata, H., Hirayama, T.: Electrical conductivity of Co3O4 films prepared by chemical vapour deposition. Mater. Chem. Phys. 53, 225–230 (1998)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferhati, H., Djeffal, F., Benhaya, A.: Structural and electrical properties of Ba-substituted spinel ferrites. Mater. Sci. Semicond. Process. 119, 1049–1056 (2020)

    Google Scholar 

  • Fu, Q.M., et al.: Tin-doped comb-like CdS microstructure and construction of the micro-sliding rheostat. Mater. Lett. 222, 74–77 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fu, Y., Gou, G., Wang, X., Chen, Y., Wan, Q., Sun, J., Xiao, S., Huang, H., Dai, G.: Pressure effects on structure and optical properties in cesium lead bromide perovskite nanocrystals. Appl. Phys. A Mater. Sci. Process. 22, 123–132 (2017)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ghamgosar, P., et al.: Self-powered photodetectors based on core-shell ZnO–Co3O4 nanowire heterojunctions. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces. 11, 23454–23462 (2019)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Green, M.: Solar cell efficiency tables. Prog photovoltic. Res. Appl. 9, 123–135 (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  • Jana, T., Pal, A., Chatterjee, K.: Photoluminescent properties of ZrO2: Tm3+, Tb3+, Eu3+ powders—a combined experimental and theoretical study. J. Alloys Compd. 695, 653–664 (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  • Jiao, F., Frei, H.: Nanostructured cobalt and manganese oxideclusters as efficient wateroxidationcatalysts. Energy Environ. Sci. 3, 1018–1027 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kandalkar, S., Gunjakar, J., Lokhande, C.: Study of structural and electronic environments of hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbonitride (a-SiCN:H) films deposited by hot wire chemical vapor deposition. Appl. Surf. Sci. 254, 5540–5540 (2008a)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Kandalkar, S., Gunjakar, J., Lokhande, C.: Preparation of cobalt oxide thin films and its use in supercapacitor application. Appl. Surf. Sci. 254, 5540–5553 (2008b)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Kandalkar, S., Gunjakar, J., Lokhande, C.: Preparation of cobalt oxide thin films and its use in supercapacitor application. Appl. Surf. Sci. 254, 5540–5549 (2018)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Khun, K., Ibupoto, Z., AlSalhi, M., Atif, M., Ansari, A., Willander, M.: Fabrication of well-aligned ZnO nanorods using a composite seed layer of ZnO nanoparticles and chitosan polymer. Materials 6, 4361–4373 (2013)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Klochko, N.P., et al.: Structure and properties of nanostructured ZnO arrays and ZnO/Ag nanocomposites fabricated by pulsed electrodeposition. Sol. Energy. 164, 149–159 (2018)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar, M., Patel, M., Kim, J., Kim, B.: Chemical epitaxy of π-phase cubic tin monosulphide. Mater. Lett. 13, 122–125 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Long, Z., Xu, X., Yang, W., Hu, M., Shtansky, D., Golberg, D., Fang, F.: Monolayer doping: a shallow acceptor of phosphorous doped in MoSe2 monolayer. Adv. Electron. Mater 6, 1901–1912 (2020)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mahala, P., Patel, M., Ban, D.-K., Nguyen, T., T., Yi, J., Kim, J., : High-performing self-driven ultraviolet photodetector by TiO2/Co3O4 photovoltaics. J. Alloys Compd. 827, 154376 (2020)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nam, H., Sasaki, T., Koshizaki, N.: Thickness and morphology effects on optical gas-sensing response using nanostructured cobalt oxide films prepared by pulsed laser ablation. J. Phys. Chem. B. 110, 110–121 (2006a)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nam, H., Sasaki, T., Koshizaki, N.: Structure and stability of silver nanoparticles in aqueous solution produced by laser ablation. J. Phys. Chem. b. 110, 253–262 (2006b)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ning, Y., Zhang, Z., Teng, F., Fang, X.: Role of surface RGD patterns on protein nanocages in tumor targeting revealed using precise discrete models. Small 14, 1703–1712 (2018)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ouyang, W., Teng, F., Fang, X.: High performance BiOCl nanosheets/TiO2 nanotube arrays heterojunction UV photodetector: the influences of self-induced inner electric fields in the BiOCl nanosheets. Adv. Funct. Mater. 28, 1707–1720 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patil, P., Kadam, L., Lokhande, C.: Preparation and characterization of spray pyrolysed cobalt oxide thin films. Thin Solid Films 272, 29–39 (1996)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Qiao, C., et al.: Nature of the band gap and origin of the electro-/photo-activity of Co3O4.J. Mater. Chem. C 1, 4628–4633 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rana, A.K., Park, J., Kim, J., Wong, C.: Nano energy for miniaturized systems. Nano Energy 64, 1039–1041 (2019)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rana, A.K., Patel, M., Nguyen, T.T., Yun, J.-H., Kim, J.: Transparent Co3O4/ZnO photovoltaic broadband photodetector. Materials Sci. Semicond. Proc. 117, 105192 (2020)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tao, Z., Zhou, D., Yin, H., Cai, B., Huo, T., Su, Y.: A facile method for preparation of emulsion using the high gravity technique. Mater. Sci. Semicond. Process. 111, 1049–1058 (2020)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Veeralingam, S., Yadav, P., Badhulika, S.: An Fe-doped ZnO/BiVO 4 heterostructure-based large area, flexible, high-performance broadband photodetector with an ultrahigh quantum yield. Nanoscale 12, 9152–9161 (2020)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu, W., Ting, J., Chang, C.: Zinc(ii) coordination polymers with substituted benzenedicarboxylate and tripodal imidazole ligands: syntheses, structures and properties. CrystEngComm 12, 1433–1442 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xia, J., Zhu, D., Li, X., Wang, L., Tian, L., Li, J., Huang, X., Meng, X.: Highly sensitive photodetectors based on hybrid 2D–0D SnS2-copper indium sulfide quantum dots. Adv. Funct. Mater. 26, 4673–4684 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, D., Gu, X., Jing, F., Gao, F., Zhou, J., Ruan, S.: Studies on the influence of growth time on the rutile TiO2 nanostructures prepared on si substrates with fabricated high-sensitivity and fast-response p–n heterojunction photodiode. J. Alloys Compd. 618, 551–554 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, Z., Ning, Y., Fang, X.: From nanofibers to ordered ZnO/NiO heterojunction arrays for self-powered and transparent UV photodetectors. J. Mater. Chem. c. 7, 223–229 (2019b)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, Y., Xu, X., Fang, X.: Tunable self-powered n-SrTiO3 photodetectors based on varying CuS–ZnS nanocomposite film (p-CuZnS, p-CuS, and n-ZnS). InfoMat 1, 542–551 (2019a)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao, B., Wang, F., Chen, H., Zheng, L., Su, L., Zhao, D., Fang, F.: TpyCo2+-based coordination polymers by water-induced gelling trigged efficient oxygen evolution reaction. Adv. Funct. Mater. 27, 1700–1711 (2017)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zou, X., Su, J., Silva, R.: Efficient oxygen evolution reaction catalyzed by low-density Ni-doped Co3O4 nanomaterials derived from metal-embedded graphitic C3N4. Chem. Commun. 49, 7522–7524 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We extend our sincere appreciation to the Researchers Supporting Project number (RSP-2021/79) at King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Chemistry, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, 76080, Sindh, Pakistan

    Aneela Tahira & Zafar Hussian Ibupoto

  2. Division of Materials Science, Department of Engineering and Mathematics, Luleå University of Technology, 97187, Luleå, Sweden

    Aneela Tahira, Raffaello Mazzaro, Federica Rigoni & Zafar Hussian Ibupoto

  3. CNR-IMM, Via Piero Gobetti 101, 40129, Bologna, Italy

    Raffaello Mazzaro

  4. Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia

    Ayman Nafady, Shoyebmohamad F. Shaikh, Asma A. Alothman & Razan A. Alshgari

Authors
  1. Aneela Tahira
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Raffaello Mazzaro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Federica Rigoni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ayman Nafady
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Shoyebmohamad F. Shaikh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Asma A. Alothman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Razan A. Alshgari
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Zafar Hussian Ibupoto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zafar Hussian Ibupoto.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Tahira, A., Mazzaro, R., Rigoni, F. et al. A simple and efficient visible light photodetector based on Co3O4/ZnO composite. Opt Quant Electron 53, 534 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11082-021-03129-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11082-021-03129-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation