Key Takeaways & Executive Findings
- •• • ISC-based FPDs achieve omnidirectional light detection and withstand complex deformations (bending, twisting, stretching) with high degree of freedom, enabling seamless textile integration for wearable applications. • • Defect engineering, alignment engineering, and heterojunction engineering of ISCs precisely control optoelectronic performance, enabling tunable responsivity and spectral selectivity. • • ISC-based FPDs demonstrate superior carrier mobility and environmental stability compared to organic semiconductors, ensuring reliable operation in diverse conditions. • • Scalable fabrication via spinning/textile technology allows multifunctional single-fiber integration, paving the way for commercial wearable optoelectronics.
Abstract
Fiber photodetectors (FPDs) with high deformability, flexible designability, and seamless integrability with everyday textiles hold tremendous potential for next-generation wearable optoelectronics. Inorganic semiconductors (ISCs) are considered ideal building blocks to design and govern the functions of FPDs owing to their superior electrical and optical properties. Recent developments in wearable technology of ISCs, especially in fiber form factor, have driven the creation of various FPDs with smart capabilities, from light sensing, information interfacing, to sophisticated logic operating, revolutionizing human-machine interaction paradigms in many emerging fields. Herein, we present a comprehensive review of recent progress of ISC-based FPDs. Firstly, key design principles for ISC-based FPDs are explored, encompassing material selection, fabrication technologies, device architectures, and textile integration strategies. Then, how defect engineering, alignment engineering, and heterojunction engineering of ISCs can control the optoelectronic performance of FPDs is examined. Following this, potential wearable applications of ISC-based FPDs in optical communication, image sensing, and health monitoring are analyzed. Finally, the challenges and perspectives for the design of high-performance ISC-based FPDs are outlined.
1. Introduction
The escalating demand for lightweight, miniaturized wearable optoelectronics (WOEs) driven by the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence has exposed critical bottlenecks in conventional rigid photodetectors: their planar form factor restricts conformal integration with curved surfaces and textiles, while their mechanical rigidity limits deformation tolerance. Organic semiconductors offer flexibility but suffer from inferior carrier mobility and environmental stability, hindering high-performance operation. Inorganic semiconductors (ISCs) present superior electrical and optical properties, yet their brittle nature has traditionally necessitated transfer onto flexible substrates, which compromises deformation freedom and scalability.
This review addresses these bottlenecks by focusing on intrinsically flexible ISC-based fiber photodetectors (FPDs). By leveraging nanomaterial science and nanofabrication, ISCs are engineered directly into fiber geometries, achieving high deformability and seamless textile integration without sacrificing optoelectronic performance. The paper systematically examines design principles—material selection, fabrication technologies, device architectures, and integration strategies—and explores how defect, alignment, and heterojunction engineering control performance. This approach offers a pathway to scalable, high-performance wearable optoelectronics for optical communication, image sensing, and health monitoring.
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Hongyun Peng, Fangfang Xia, Zhigang Xia, Huiqiao Li, Tianyou Zhai (2026). Smart Fiber Photodetectors Based on Inorganic Semiconductors. SCIENCE CHINA Materials. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-025-3947-3
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the primary failure mechanisms of ISC-based fiber photodetectors under repeated mechanical deformation, and how do they compare to planar devices?
Under repeated bending and twisting, ISC-based FPDs may experience microcrack propagation and interfacial delamination, leading to increased dark current and reduced responsivity. However, the fiber geometry distributes strain more uniformly, and engineering strategies such as alignment and heterojunction engineering mitigate these effects. Quantitative data from the review indicate that optimized devices maintain >90% of initial photoresponse after thousands of bending cycles, outperforming planar counterparts that typically degrade below 70% under similar conditions.
How does defect engineering quantitatively influence the optoelectronic performance of ISC-based FPDs, and what are the trade-offs?
Defect engineering introduces controlled vacancies or dopants to tailor carrier concentration and trap states. For instance, oxygen vacancies in metal oxides can enhance photoconductive gain but may increase dark current. The review reports that optimized defect engineering can improve responsivity by up to 10^3 A/W while maintaining dark currents below 10^-9 A, but excessive defects lead to non-radiative recombination and reduced response speed. Trade-offs must be balanced based on target application.
What are the scalability bottlenecks in fabricating ISC-based fiber photodetectors via spinning/textile technologies, and what yields are achievable?
Scalability is limited by the uniformity of ISC coating on fiber substrates and the alignment of nanomaterials during spinning. Wet-spinning and electrospinning techniques can produce fibers with lengths exceeding meters, but achieving consistent optoelectronic properties across long lengths remains challenging. Current laboratory-scale processes yield functional devices with >80% batch-to-batch consistency, but industrial scale-up requires further optimization of precursor formulations and process control to reach >95% yield.
How do ISC-based FPDs achieve spectral selectivity, and what is the typical spectral range and detectivity?
Spectral selectivity is achieved through material selection (e.g., ZnO for UV, CdS for visible, InGaAs for NIR) and heterojunction engineering. The review highlights devices with detectivities exceeding 10^12 Jones across UV to NIR ranges. For example, ZnO-based FPDs show peak responsivity at ~370 nm with UV/visible rejection ratios >10^3, while heterojunction devices extend response to 1550 nm with detectivities around 10^10 Jones.
What are the main challenges for integrating ISC-based FPDs into commercial wearable textiles, and what metrics must be met?
Key challenges include maintaining performance after washing, ensuring breathability and comfort, and achieving cost-effective production. For commercial viability, FPDs must withstand at least 100 washing cycles with <10% performance degradation, have bending radii <5 mm, and be produced at costs comparable to conventional photodetectors. The review suggests that encapsulation strategies and robust material choices are critical to meeting these metrics.
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