In situ synthesis of monoclinic β-Ga₂O₃ nanowires on flexible substrate and solar-blind photodetector

Flexible solar-blind deep ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors based on β-Ga₂O₃ have important applications in wearable portable UV light monitoring and smart skins devices. However, flexible devices limit the maximum working temperature, and amorphous nature of film grown under low temperature displays instability. In this work, monoclinic β-Ga₂O₃ nanowires were synthesized in situ on a flexible glass fiber fabric by chemical vapor deposition with a diameter of 40–280 nm and a length of one to tens of microns under a high temperature. The fabricated photodetector based on β-Ga₂O₃ nanowires network exhibits a good solar-blind UV photoelectric performance such as an I_light/I_dark ratio of 260, a photoresponsivity of 0.71 A/W and a decay time of 0.19 s under 254 nm UV light illumination. Meanwhile, the performance of the device is not affected by bending conditions. Simple fabrication method and excellent photoelectric performance reveal that this device will be a promising candidate for future flexible solar-blind photodetectors with a high working temperature and high stability.