Recent advances in Ga-based solar-blind photodetectors

Solar-blind ultraviolet photodetectors have many advantages, such as low false alarm rates, the ability to detect weak signals, and high signal-to-noise ratios. Among the various functional solar-blind ultraviolet photodetectors, Ga-based alloys of AlGaN and Ga2O3 are the most commonly adopted channel semiconductor materials and have attracted extensive research attention in the past decades. This review presents an overview of the recent progress in Ga-based solar-blind photodetectors. In case of AlGaN-based solar-blind ultraviolet photodetectors, the response properties can be improved by optimizing the AlN nucleation layer and designing the avalanche structure. On the other hand, we also discuss the morphology and growth methods of Ga2O3 nanomaterials and their effect on the performance of the corresponding solar-blind photodetectors. The mechanically exfoliated Ga2O3 flakes show good potential for ultraviolet detection. Also, Ga2O3 nanoflowers and nanowires reveal perfect response to ultraviolet light. Finally, the challenges and future development of Ga-based functional solar-blind ultraviolet photodetectors are summarized.