Long-Term UV Detecting Wearable Patches Enabled by III-N Compound Semiconductor-Based Microphotodetectors

UV radiation is considered indispensable from the hygienic, medical, aesthetic, and industrial perspectives. Among the various types of UV radiation, UV-A (with a wavelength of 315–400 nm) has a significant influence because it adversely affects human skin, leading to damage such as blemishes, freckles, and wrinkles. Although various photosensors are developed for monitoring UV-A radiation in real time, these devices have critical issues, such as inefficient fabrication processes, insufficient photoresponsivity, and incompatibility with long-term wearable applications. Here, the authors report on a wearable UV-detecting patch targeted for long-term use in the medical and clinical fields. A wearable UV sensor is fabricated by integrating optimized InGaN/GaN microphotodetectors (µPDs) in a 3D porous patch. The optical and electrical properties of the device are intensively investigated under various types of optical radiation and input electrical power and show high photoresponsivity (2.82 A W⁻¹) and excellent external quantum efficiency (897.63%). Long-term real-time UV radiation monitoring using the wearable µPDs is demonstrated; moreover, the by-products can be efficiently removed from human skin surfaces.