Solar-blind UV photocathodes based on AlGaN heterostructures with a 300- to 330-nm spectral sensitivity threshold

Solar-blind UV photodetectors based on photocathodes are among the important applications of heterostructures based on group III metal nitride semiconductors. Related investigations are most frequently devoted to photocathodes with p-GaN active regions characterized by a long-wavelength sensitivity threshold at 360 nm. Since the detected radiation is mostly concentrated in the spectral range below 240–290 nm, corresponding displacement of the long-wavelength sensitivity threshold of photodetectors by using photocathodes with p-AlGaN active regions is a topical task. We present preliminary results on manufacturing photocathodes with a $p$-Al$_x$Ga$_{1-x}$N ($x$ = 0.1 and 0.3) active region (possessing a long-wavelength sensitivity threshold at 330 and 300 nm, respectively).