Ultraviolet photodetection properties of indium oxide nanowires

Photoconducting properties of In2O3 nanowires were studied. Devices based on individual In2O3 nanowires showed a substantial increase in conductance of up to four orders of magnitude upon exposure to UV light. Such devices also exhibited short response times and significant shifts in the threshold gate voltage. The sensitivity to UV of different wavelengths was studied and compared. We have further demonstrated the use of UV light as a “gas cleanser” for In2O3 nanowire chemical sensors, leading to a recovery time as short as 80 s.