Piezophototronic Effect Modulated Multilevel Current Amplification from Highly Transparent and Flexible Device Based on Zinc Oxide Thin Film

Abstract In this work, a strain modulated highly transparent and flexible ZnO/Ag‐nanowires/polyethylene terephthalate optoelectronic device is developed. By utilizing the applied external strain‐induced piezophototronic effects of a ZnO thin film, a UV‐generated photocurrent is tuned in a wide range starting from 0.01 to 85.07 µA and it is presented in a comprehensive map. Particularly, the performance of the device is effectively enhanced 7733 times by compressive strain, as compared to its dark current in a strain‐free state. The observed results are explained quantitatively based on the modulation of oxygen desorption/absorption on the ZnO surface under the influence of applied strains. The presented simple optoelectronic device can be easily integrated into existing planar structures, with potential applications in highly transparent smart windows, wearable electronics, smartphones, security communication, and so on.