Quantum dot photodetector apparatus and associated methods

An apparatus comprising a layer of channel material, source and drain electrodes positioned below the layer of channel material configured to enable a flow of electrical current through the layer of channel material, a layer of quantum dot material having a substantially uniform thickness across an area, the layer of quantum dot material formed by a deposit of a quantum dot solution onto the layer of channel material that is as-grown and by a transfer of the layers of channel and quantum dot material as a single stack onto a substrate, the layer of quantum dot material positioned on top of the layer of channel material configured to generate electron-hole pairs on exposure to incident electromagnetic radiation to produce a change in the flow of electrical current which is indicative of a presence and magnitude of the incident electromagnetic radiation, and the substrate configured to support the source and drain electrodes and the layers of channel and quantum dot material,

• wherein both the layers of channel and quantum dot material substantially conform to the topography of the underlying substrate and electrodes, and
• wherein the layer of quantum dot material has the substantially uniform thickness across the area of the layer of quantum dot material.

A computer program comprising computer code configured to cause apparatus to perform:

• depositing a quantum dot solution onto an as-grown layer of channel material to form a layer of quantum dot material having a substantially uniform thickness across the area of the layer of quantum dot material;
• and
• transferring the layers of channel and quantum dot material as a single stack onto a substrate comprising source and drain electrodes such that both the layers of channel and quantum dot material substantially conform to the topography of the underlying substrate and electrodes whilst maintaining the substantially uniform thickness of quantum dot material, the source and drain electrodes configured to enable a flow of electrical current through the layer of channel material, the layer of quantum dot material configured to generate electron-hole pairs on exposure to incident electromagnetic radiation to produce a detectable change in the flow of electrical current which is indicative of one or more of the presence and magnitude of the incident electromagnetic radiation.