Described herein is an optical sensor, a detector for an optical detection including the optical sensor, a method for manufacturing the optical sensor and various uses of the optical detector. The optical sensor includes a stack.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor material including a thin film formed on a base material, the thin film including a transition metal dichalcogenide represented by MX.sub.2, wherein M is a transition metal and X is a chalcogen atom except oxygen. In the present invention, the thin film is modified with metal nanoparticles including metallic N, whereby defect portions on the surface of the transition metal dichalcogenide thin film are modified to thereby improve the semiconductor characteristics of the thin film. These metal nanoparticles are preferably the nanoparticles of a precious metal. The transition metal M in the transition metal dichalcogenide thin film on the base material is preferably a sulfide, selenide or telluride of Pt or Pd. In the step of modifying with the metal nanoparticles, an atomic layer deposition method (ALD) is particularly preferably applied.

An integrated circuit includes a photodetector. The photodetector includes one or more dielectric structures positioned in a trench in a semiconductor substrate. The photodetector includes a photosensitive material positioned in the trench and covering the one or more dielectric structures. A dielectric layer covers the photosensitive material. The photosensitive material has an index of refraction that is greater than the indices of refraction of the dielectric structures and the dielectric layer.

A method of manufacturing a lead salt thin film on a substrate by seeding a substrate with a lead salt solution (e.g., PbSe, PbS, or PbTe) to form a seeded substrate comprising lead salt seed crystals, and growing the lead salt thin film upon the substrate by exposing the seeded substrate to a chemical bath comprising the lead salt solution at a predetermined growth temperature. A lead salt thin film manufactured by the process. A photonic crystal microchip comprising the lead salt thin film. A gas sensing device comprising a diode laser, a mid-infrared photodetector, and the photonic crystal microchip. A method of detecting a hydrocarbon gas, comprising exposing a gas sample to the gas sensing device, and determining the content of hydrocarbon gases in the gas sample.

Photovoltaic devices, and methods of fabricating photovoltaic devices. The photovoltaic devices may include a first electrode, at least one quantum dot layer, at least one semiconductor layer, and a second electrode. The first electrode may include a layer including Cr and one or more silver contacts.

A time-of-flight (ToF) sensor includes a photodetector array and a processing circuit. The photodetector array includes a plurality of photodetectors wherein each photodetector of the photodetector array includes a silicon-based, light-sensitive diode. Each silicon-based, light-sensitive diode includes a photosensitive layer comprising a plurality of quantum dot particles sensitive to a near infrared (NIR) region of an electromagnetic spectrum, wherein the plurality of quantum dot particles converts optical energy into electrical energy to generate an electrical current in response to receiving NIR light having a wavelength in the NIR region. The processing circuit is configured to receive the electrical current and calculate a time-of-flight of the received NIR light based on the electrical current.

The technology disclosed herein is based on a novel multilayer material having a plurality of internal charge dipoles and in-plane conductivity.

A preparation method for growing a germanium sulfide (GeS.sub.2) single-crystal thin film on a SiO.sub.2 substrate includes: cleaning a surface of a substrate with acetone, ethanol and deionized water, where the substrate is a Si/SiO.sub.2 substrate or a SiO.sub.2 glass substrate; photoetching the substrate, spin-coating a photoresist, and performing photoetching and dry etching or wet etching to obtain a groove pattern; depositing a germanium (Ge)-crystal layer in the groove pattern of the substrate to obtain a treated substrate; and putting the treated substrate into a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) device for growth, a growth source being high-purity sulfur (S) powder and high-purity Ge powder, thereby obtaining a GeS.sub.2 single-crystal thin film on the SiO.sub.2 substrate. The preparation method can grow GeS.sub.2 single crystals on the SiO.sub.2 substrate. The GeS.sub.2 single crystals have a high crystalline quality and a small surface roughness.

The functional photoresist for patterning a nanoparticle thin film including nanoparticles on a substate includes: a photoactive compound (PAC); and a functional ligand that is bound to surfaces of the nanoparticles and controls physical properties of the nanoparticles.

Photovoltaic devices, and methods of fabricating photovoltaic devices. The photovoltaic devices may include a first electrode, at least one quantum dot layer, at least one semiconductor layer, and a second electrode. The first electrode may include a layer including Cr and one or more silver contacts.