A Transparent Photodetector Based on a Composite of Silver and Tungsten Oxide Nanowires

This work presents the development of a transparent photodetector (PD) based on a composite of tungsten trioxide (WO3) and silver nanowires (Ag NWs). A uniform transparent conducting film with a resistance of
$64 \Omega $
and a transparency of 89% (at 550 nm) is obtained via spin coating followed by annealing at 120 °C. The device exhibits negative photoconductance, which can be attributed to the Schottky junction formation at the silver and tungsten oxide interface. The device shows a sensitivity of 25.6 mAW
$^{-1}$
and detectivity of
$3.38\times 10^{8}$
Jones at a low bias voltage of 1 V at room temperature. The low annealing temperature makes the composite compatible with conventional flexible substrates.