Enhancement of a Cu2O/ZnO photodetector via surface plasmon resonance induced by Ag nanoparticles

The localized surface plasmon resonance enhancement of a Cu2O photodetector was realized by Ag nanoparticles (NPs) that were fabricated by electrochemical deposition. A ZnO nanowire was used to accelerate carrier separation. An increase of responsivity was achieved based on the coupling interaction between the surface plasmon resonance in the Ag NPs and the Cu2O film. The photodetector possessed high responsivity (0.27A/W). Compared to the device without Ag NPs, the responsivity was enhanced 20-fold. The excellent comprehensive performance of the Cu2O/ZnO photodetector reveals that localized surface plasmon resonance is an efficient way to improve the performance of Cu2O-based photodetectors.