Recent progress in GaN-based ultraviolet photodetectors

Gallium nitride (GaN) materials, characterized by wide direct bandgap tunability, high photoelectronic efficiency and excellent chemical and thermal stability, have garnered significant attention for the development of GaN-based photoelectronic devices, including light-emitting diodes (LEDs), photodetectors and lasers. Photodetectors play a crucial role in both military and civilian applications. GaN-based photodetectors exhibit superior performance compared to traditional silicon-based devices, particularly in ultraviolet (UV) photoelectric detection. This review provides a comprehensive summary of recent research advancements in GaN-based photodetectors. We categorize the reported GaN photodetectors into Schottky junction, heterojunction, p–i–n junction, GaN-HEMT photodiode and photoelectrochemical (PEC) type. The fundamental properties of GaN materials and the basic operating principles of photodetectors are reviewed. Finally, the latest progress, future challenges and prospects of GaN-based photodetectors are presented and discussed. The objective of this paper is to provide new research insights and directions for developing ultra-high-performance GaN-based photodetectors and to promote the practical application of these advanced devices.