Publication date: 15th December 2025
Organic semiconductors provide distinct advantages for infrared (IR) detection, including mechanical flexibility and tunable spectral response. However, organic photodiodes are typically limited to the short-wave IR range (< 2000 nm). Here, we demonstrate that a bolometer architecture using solution- or vacuum-deposited doped organic semiconductors can extend the detection wavelengths well beyond 10 µm, achieving detectivities up to 8 × 10⁹ Jones. Although thermal detectors such as bolometers are generally slower than photonic devices, we show that minimizing the overall device thickness enables response times as fast as 41 ms—suitable for imaging. We further find that the intrinsically low thermal conductivity of (doped) organic semiconductors permits pixel sizes of 10 µm while maintaining detectivities near 10⁹ Jones, provided the total device thickness remains below 1000 nm. Device physics and performance limitations of the approach will be discussed in this presentation, underlining the strong potential of doped organic semiconductors for IR detection.
