Wide bandgap UV photodetectors: a short review of devices and applications

Ultraviolet detectors are of a great interest to a wide range of industrial, military, environmental and even biological applications. This paper intends first to review some of the most relevant recent developments in the field of wide bandgap semiconductor UV detectors, and to give an overview of their applications. A special focus is given on III-nitride based devices, which more and more clearly represent to date one of the most promising and flexible technical solutions for UV detection.