Broadening of the Response Spectrum and Gain in the Optoelectronic Performance of P3HT:PC61BM/ZnO NWs “Embedded” Heterojunction Photodetector

The combination of the inorganic semiconductor material zinc oxide (ZnO) and the organic material poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) with 6,6-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PC61BM) blends (P3HT:PC61BM) has been widely studied for photovoltaic applications. In this paper, a P3HT:PC61BM/ZnO nanowires (NWs) photodetector (PD) with wide spectral responsivity was prepared. The photoresponse performance of PDs was compared and analyzed by tests and calculations, and it was demonstrated that the organic material could well broaden the absorption and response spectral range of the ZnO NWs PD, and the overall responsivity and external quantum efficiency were significantly improved. p-Type P3HT:PC61BM is "embedded" with n-type ZnO NWs in a large area, and the built-in electric field of the heterojunction can effectively separate photogenerated excitons and effectively promote electron transport. The ZnO NWs play the role of electron-transport "channels", which lead to good improvement of the optoelectronic performance of the ZnO NWs PD.