Printable Organic Photodetectors for Multispectral Light Detection

Printable organic semiconductors offer remarkable potential for spectrally selective light detection due to their diverse absorption properties. From a manufacturability perspective, an appealing solution involves combining different active materials, each absorbing photons in a different spectral range, into device architectures capable of covering multiple spectral regions. In this presentation, we showcase recent advancements in this field. To overcome the limitations of fullerene-based systems—which compromise the spectral selectivity of photodetectors due to the broad absorption tail of fullerenes—we have investigated fullerene-free approaches to high-performance, spectrally selective photodetectors. By selecting suitable donors in combination with non-fullerene acceptors that selectively absorb in the green or far-red spectral ranges, we have developed printable, spectrally selective photodetectors with cutting-edge performance. Additionally, aiming to go beyond the limitations of conventional imagers with color-filter arrays, we have demonstrated the first printable, vertically stacked organic-semiconductor-based pixel architecture. This innovation allows for independent and simultaneous detection of multiple colors with superior spectral selectivity. We have also explored the use of photoconductive gain to offset optical losses in these vertically stacked devices, a technique that shows great promise for enabling advanced multispectral light sensing. Finally, we have demonstrated the integration of printable organic photodetectors, each responsive to different spectral regions, for sustainability-focused applications. These breakthroughs highlight the significant potential of printable, spectrally selective organic photodetectors as a cost-effective, high-performance solution for multispectral sensing platforms.