High-temperature Ultraviolet Photodetectors: A Review

TL;DR

This review discusses the advancements in high-temperature ultraviolet photodetectors made from wide bandgap semiconductors, highlighting their optical performance and suitability for industrial and aerospace applications.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive summary of recent developments in high-temperature UV photodetectors based on wide bandgap semiconductors, including performance metrics and characterization techniques.

Findings

High-temperature UV photodetectors achieve high photocurrent-to-dark current ratios.

Responsivity and quantum efficiency are optimized at elevated temperatures.

Uncooled detectors are effective up to 300°C in harsh environments.

Abstract

Wide bandgap semiconductors have become the most attractive materials in optoelectronics in the last decade. Their wide bandgap and intrinsic properties have advanced the development of reliable photodetectors to selectively detect short wavelengths (i.e., ultraviolet, UV) in high temperature regions (up to 300{\deg}C). The main driver for the development of high-temperature UV detection instrumentation is in-situ monitoring of hostile environments and processes found within industrial, automotive, aerospace, and energy production systems that emit UV signatures. In this review, a summary of the optical performance (in terms of photocurrent-to-dark current ratio, responsivity, quantum efficiency, and response time) and uncooled, high-temperature characterization of III-nitride, SiC, and other wide bandgap semiconductor UV photodetectors is presented.