Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Shortwave Infrared Up-conversion Imaging Devices with Ultra-high Refresh Rate and Excellent Resolution

Shortwave infrared (SWIR) imaging devices have gained increasing importance in various fields, including security monitoring, biomedical imaging, advanced driver assistance, and semiconductor industry. However, complex technological processes of epitaxial growth and flip-chip bonding hinder the development of high-performance and low-cost SWIR imaging devices. Herein, a novel organic-inorganic hybrid optical up-conversion (OUC) imaging device by stacking a phosphorescent organic light-emitting diode (OLED) with a NiSix/Si Schottky barrier diode (SBD) is developed. The pyramidal microstructures of silicon are utilized to greatly enhance light absorption of the NiSix/Si SBD, enabling the device to respond to a broadband SWIR light of 1064, 1310, and 1550 nm that are beyond the bandgap limit of silicon. Significantly, the device demonstrates excellent up-conversion imaging behaviors at SWIR light with an ultra-fast refresh rate of over 3000 Hz and a high-resolution imaging capability of 508 ppi. This work paves the way toward the fabrication of high-performance, low-cost silicon-based OUC devices for SWIR imaging applications.