Self-powered and broadband flexible photodetectors based on vapor deposition grown antimony film

Antimony (Sb) thin film has drawn substantial attention in recent years due to its high carrier mobility, tunable bandgap, superior thermal conductivity, and high stability. Here, two kinds of Sb photodetector are presented. The Sb photodetector based on SiO2/Si exhibits fast photoresponse from ultraviolet (UV) to near infrared (NIR) wavelengths and a self-powered behavior without bias voltage. The Sb photodetector based on flexible polyimide (PI) substrate also exhibits self-powered and fast photoresponse features similar to the rigid Sb/SiO2 photodetector, furthermore the flexible photodetector exhibits excellent mechanical flexibility and stable photoresponse under a wide bending range of curvatures and a large number of bending cycles. The results of this work indicate that Sb thin film has a great potential in the development of self-powered, flexible, and broadband photodetector in the future.