Vertically Stacked Intraband Quantum Dot Devices for Mid-Wavelength Infrared Photodetection

Intraband quantum dots are degenerately doped semiconductor nanomaterials that exhibit unique optical properties in mid- to long-wavelength infrared. To date, these quantum dots have been only studied as lateral photoconductive devices, while transitioning toward a vertically stacked structure can open diverse opportunities for investigating advanced device designs. Here, we report the first vertical intraband quantum dot heterojunction devices composed of Ag2Se/PbS/Ag2Se quantum dot stacks that bring the advantage of reduced dark conductivity with a simplified device fabrication procedure. We discuss the improvement in the colloidal synthesis of Ag2Se quantum dots that are critical for vertical device fabrication, identify an important process that determines the mid-wavelength infrared responsivity of the quantum dot film, and analyze the basic device characteristics and key detector performance parameters. Compared to the previous generation of Ag2Se quantum dot-based photoconductive devices, approximately 70 times increase in the mid-wavelength responsivity, at room temperature, is observed.