Photodetectors have found extensive utility across various domains, including image sensing, communications, environmental monitoring, remote control, and autonomous driving.1-5 However, achieving optimal performance in near-infrared (NIR) optoelectronic devices necessitates meticulous optimization and a delicate balance between performance, reliability, and manufacturing cost. One promising avenue for enhancing photodetector performance lies in the construction of heterojunctions using two-dimensional (2D) materials.6-8 These heterojunctions can augment light absorption, electron transport, and separation, thereby broadening the spectral response range. Consequently, 2D materials have emerged as highly sought-after candidates for the next-generation optoelectronic devices.9-11 Despite extensive research on 2D material heterostructures, challenges persist in achieving optimal performance across various types of optoelectronic devices. Therefore, the selection of novel 2D materials and the construction of heterostructures play a pivotal role in enhancing device performance and enabling practical applications.
Graphene, as the earliest discovered 2D layered material, possesses exceptional electrical and optical properties, rendering it a favored material for broadband photodetection.12-13 However, its widespread application in NIR photodetectors is hindered by inherent defects such as weak light absorption capability (only 2.3%) and a short photocarrier lifetime.14-16 Recently, attention has shifted towards three-dimensional (3D) graphene, which is composed of stacked graphene layers, offers distinct advantages compared to traditional 2D-graphene.17-18 This unique structure imparts unparalleled physical and chemical properties, including high conductivity, carrier mobility, a large surface area, and a natural nano-resonant cavity, thereby significantly enhancing light absorption capacity and carrier generation in photodetectors.19-20 These attributes position 3D-graphene as a promising candidate for high-performance optoelectronic devices.
In contrast to traditional 2D layered materials, graphene quantum dots (GQDs) exhibit optical stability, low-cost manufacturing, tunable bandgaps, and high absorption coefficients.21-23 These qualities make GQDs ideal light-active materials in NIR photodetectors. Additionally, GQDs hold potential for large-scale solution processing, facilitating effective integration with other materials and substantially boosting photodetector performance.24 However, the existing preparation method for GQDs through solution processing may introduce impurities, and the application process involving drop coating may lead to agglomeration challenges.25-26
In our work, we have pioneered the development of a self-driven NIR photodetector by integrating nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots (N-GQDs) with a 3D-graphene/germanium (Ge) heterostructure. The N-GQDs and 3D-graphene were directly synthesized on Ge wafer using plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition (PACVD) in a one-pot process. These N-GQDs possess highly crystalline, stable, and low-defect characteristics, serving as the heterostructure without necessitating any post-growth transfer process. Remarkably, they exhibit excellent light absorption capabilities in the NIR spectra. Moreover, the integration of N-GQDs with 3D-graphene enables tunable modulation of the 3D-graphene Fermi energy levels, ensuring perfect alignment of the energy bands in the heterostructures. This confers the device with a potent built-in electric field, promoting abundant generation and highly efficient separation of photoinduced charge carriers. Consequently, the overall optoelectronic performance of the fabricated photodetector is significantly enhanced, displaying outstanding responsivity (2.3 × 103 A/W) and specific detectivity (6.2 × 1014 Jones) under 2200 nm illumination. Furthermore, the fabricated photodetector demonstrates remarkable imaging capabilities, capturing high-resolution images between 1850 and 2200 nm. Additionally, it exhibits high feasibility in optically controlled digital logic circuits. This research opens up exciting possibilities for designing and manufacturing high-performance 3D heterostructures, enabling diverse optoelectronic applications.