Composite quantum-dot materials for photonic detectors

1. A composite quantum-dot photodetector comprising:

A substrate with a colloidally deposited thin film structure forming a photosensitive region, the thin film containing a plurality of at least one type of a nanocrystal quantum-dot, whereby the nanocrystal quantum dots are spaced by ligands to form a lattice; and

the lattice of the quantum dots has an infill material that forms an inorganic matrix that isolates the nanocrystal quantum dots from atmospheric exposure.

2. The photodetector of claim 1 wherein the nanocrystal quantum-dot is made from materials InSb, InGaP, PbS, PbSe, PbTe, PbI 2 , HgS, HgTe, LaF 3 , CdS, CulnS 2 , CdTe, CuZnInS 2 , CdSe, HfO 2 , CIS, CZTS, YV(B)O 4 , ZnS, ZrO 2 , PbSxSe1-x, HgxCd1-xTe, InAs(1-x)Sb(x), Al(x)Ga(1-x)As or combinations thereof.

3. The photodetector of claim 1 wherein the nanocrystal quantum dots are composed of a ternary material with radially gradient alloy composition.

4. The photodetector of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a CMOS wafer containing electrical circuits for biasing or amplifying the signal from the photodetector, the CMOS wafer being planar with a surface that is within 1 μm peak-to-peak flatness per centimeter.

5. The photodetector of claim 1 wherein the photodetector is a pixelated array.

6. The photodetector of claim 1 , wherein the photodetector is a xBy structure wherein x and y are either an n-type or a p-type material and B a first barrier layer.

7. The photodetector of claim 6 wherein the photodetector further comprising a second barrier layer C, wherein the second barrier layer is on either side of the xBy thin film to prevent conduction of a charge carrier.

8. The photodetector of claim 7 wherein the second barrier layer is a hole blocking barrier.

9. The photodetector of claim 7 , wherein the second barrier layer is an electron blocking barrier.

10. The photodetector of claim 6 , wherein the composition of the x material is different than the y material.

11. The photodetector of claim 1 , wherein the nanocrystal quantum-dot has a core and a shell, the core of the quantum-dot being an alloy containing more than two atomic elements.

12. The photodetector of claim 11 , wherein the nanocrystal quantum-dot is p-type.

13. The photodetector of claim 11 , wherein the nanocrystal quantum-dot is n-type.

14. The photodetector of claim 11 , wherein the nanocrystal quantum-dot is doped to be p-type.

15. The photodetector of claim 11 , wherein the nanocrystal quantum- is doped to be n-type.

16. The photodetector of claim 11 , wherein the surface composition of the nanocrystal quantum-dot is used to create dipoles that cause the nanocrystal quantum-dot to be p-type.

17. The photodetector of claim 11 , wherein the surface composition of the quantum-dot creates dipoles that cause the nanocrystal quantum-dot to be n-type.

18. The photodetector of claim 1 , wherein infill material forms a potential barrier to one or both the holes and electron carriers in the detector layer.

19. The photodetector of claim 1 , wherein the composition of the infill semiconductor material with a band alignment promote extraction of one, but not both charge carriers.

20. The photodetector of claim 1 , wherein transport of one type of carrier is conducted between the nanocrystal quantum-dots, and transport of the other carrier is conducted through an inorganic infill semiconductor material.

21. The photodetector of claim 1 , wherein an electric contact to the thin film structure is transparent to optical radiation.

22. The photodetector of claim 1 , wherein the inorganic matrix comprises of insulating Al 2 O 3 , ZrO 2 , HfO 2 , or combinations thereof.

23. The photodetector of claim 1 , wherein the inorganic matrix comprises of Halometallate Perovskite.

24. The photodetector of claim 1 , wherein the inorganic matrix comprises of a pnictide semiconductor.

25. The photodetector of claim 1 , wherein the inorganic matrix comprises an organic semiconductor.

26. The photodetector of claim 1 , wherein the inorganic matrix is comprised of Ag2S.

27. The photodetector of claim 1 , further comprising a first barrier layer to block either holes or electrons.

28. The photodetector of claim 27 , further comprising a second barrier layer, the second barrier layer blocking the opposite carrier the first barrier blocks.

29. The photodetector of claim 27 , wherein one or more of the nanocomposite layers includes a graded bandgap.

30. The photodetector of claim 27 , wherein absorption of optical radiation in the detection layer is achieved through intraband transitions.

31. The photodetector of claim 1 , further comprising a transparent electrical contact.

32. The photodetector of claim 31 , wherein the transparent contact is composed of a metal oxide.

33. The photodetector of claim 31 , wherein the transparent electrical contact includes metal nanoparticles.