Direct synthesis of p-type PbS quantum dot inks toward wafer-scale SWIR imaging.

Authors

Yang Liu, Shengyu Ma, Chengjie Deng, Chunmeng Liu, Yu Yin, Kunyuan Lu, Guozheng Shi, Lin Yuan, Yao Yin, Juncheng Zhu, Xinyang Huang, Lizhen Huang, Jianlong Xu, Liang Gao, Zeke Liu, Wanli Ma

Published in

National science review. Volume 13. Issue 16. Pages nwag421. Epub Jul 11, 2026.

Abstract

PbS quantum dots (QDs) are highly promising for scalable short-wave infrared (SWIR) optoelectronics due to their tunable bandgap and solution-processability. While efficient devices require well-defined p-n homojunctions, the fabrication of p-type QD layers remains a critical bottleneck compared with the well-established n-type QD inks. Current fabrication of p-type QD layers relies on solid-state ligand exchange (SSLE). However, SSLE suffers from incomplete ligand replacement and non-uniform oxidation, causing film inhomogeneity that prevents wafer-scale manufacturing. Here, we report a direct synthesis of p-type PbS QD inks with tunable QD size, optical absorption, and p-type electronic characteristics. The resulting inks yield conductive p-type films on 6-inch Si substrates with highly uniform thickness. Using this strategy, we realize SWIR photodetectors with fully ink-processed PbS QD p-n junctions, together with a prototype imaging module. When integrated with a recognition algorithm, the imager provides SWIR images that facilitate vehicle recognition under foggy conditions. This work establishes a scalable route toward future high-performance, wafer-level SWIR optoelectronic platforms.

PMID:
42668928
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 30 Aug 2026.

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