Using ZnO nano particle doped conductive polymers in X-ray detection and detector development

In this thesis, the potential of ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) incorporated into a poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) matrix for X-ray detection was investigated by focusing on organic semiconductors. ZnO NPs were chosen due to their high mobility, wide bandgap, and thermal stability. They were synthesized using the sol-gel method and integrated into P3HT at various ratios (1:0.25, 1:0.5, 1:0.75) to form composite layers. Two different device architectures were fabricated: interdigitated electrode (IDT) based IDT/P3HT resistive devices and diode-based ITO/ZnO/P3HT/Graphite devices. The impact of ZnO NP concentration on X-ray detection performance was systematically evaluated in these device structures. The results showed that increasing ZnO NP content enhanced electron transport and improved the devices' sensitivity to X-rays. The ITO/ZnO/P3HT/Graphite device with a P3HT ratio of (1:0.75) exhibited the highest sensitivity (0.79 μGy/s) and the fastest response times, outperforming the IDT-based devices. This study on the development of organic semiconductor devices demonstrates that ZnO NP-doped organic semiconductors are promising candidates for cost-effective, highly sensitive, and high-performance X-ray detectors.