Three-terminal nonvolatile memory photodetectors based on rationally engineered heterostructured tin zinc oxide nanowires

One-dimensional wide band-gap metal oxide semiconductors demonstrate enormous potential in high-performance ultraviolet photodetectors. Here, via tuned zinc oxide (ZnO) concentration ratio and heterojunction structure as well as decent VTH value, we electrospun tin zinc oxide (SnZnOX) nanowires for photoelectronic conversion function. The constructed optimized photodetectors based on Sn8Zn2OX nanowires can exhibit a remarkable detectivity of 1.77 × 1016 Jones, excellent responsivity of 2.23 × 103 A/W and relative high sensitivity over 104. In addition to the excellent photodetection performance, Sn8Zn2OX nanowire devices exhibit nonvolatile memory effect, which can maintain the light-induced low resistance state at 5 V without light. Moreover, a voltage of 30 V was applied to Sn8Zn2OX nanowires devices to realize light-writing state switching to bias-erasing state, and the device could come back to their initial high resistance state. These results indicate SnZnOX nanowires devices possess a tremendous potential in the circuit design of the artificial visual system.