In situ doping engineering of vacuum-evaporated PbSe films for improving near-IR photodetectors

Lead selenide (PbSe) infrared photodetectors show promise for commercialization of uncooled, making it limited to low yield of standard chemical method manufacturing technology . Meanwhile, challenges such as a uniformity and insufficient detection performance hinder their application. Herein, we develop a PbSe photoelectric detectors and synergistically address the detectors uniformity and high-performance via designing a well-selected in situ doping engineering of vacuum-evaporated. The optimized device achieves a reduced dark current of 2.95 × 10 −4 A at 10 V, a fast response time of 1.5 ms, a room-temperature detectivity exceeding 3.07 × 10 9 Jones, and a high responsivity of 0.29 A/W. Moreover, the average detectivity across a large area of the detector was 2.82 × 10 9 Jones, indicating excellent uniformity and performance, along with a well-balanced omni-directional photoelectric response. Furthermore, it maintains stable performance even after being exposed to air for a duration of one month. This novel approach to thin film sensitization is unprecedented and the results showcase the great potential of PbSe photodetectors in the field of optoelectronics , opening up new avenues for advancing infrared photodetector technology. • In situ growth of PbSe co-doped with SeO₂ and PbI₂ yields highly crystalline, uniform columnar crystals. • The photodetector exhibits electrical characteristics with a significant specific detectivity of 3.07 × 10 9 Jones was obtained. • PbSe photodetector show high-uniformity photoresponse in a large area.