Highly responsive ZnO nanorods array ultraviolet photodetectors modificated with reduced graphene oxide layer

Abstract In this paper, we demonstrate a new heterojunction ultraviolet (UV) photodetector in a superstrate configuration, i.e. glass/FTO/ZnO NRs/rGO/Au, constructed via the dip-coated method to form reduced graphene oxide (rGO) layer on the surface of ZnO nanorod arrays (NRs). The rGO compensates for surface oxygen vacancies by the oxygen-containing groups and improves the crystal properties of ZnO NRs after annealing. Furthermore, the carrier mobility and work function are effectively increased after Au doping. Under UV irradiation, the electron–hole pairs generated by ZnO NRs are separated with bias voltage, and the electrons and holes are collected via fluorine-doped tin dioxide (FTO) and rGO/Au, respectively. The rGO acts as a hole transport layer, which reduces the recombination of carriers and increases the current density, giving rise to a higher responsivity (67.48 A W −1 at −1.5 V bias) than pure ZnO NRs photodetectors.