Kyung Hee University Professor Kang Sungjun's Team Develops Transparent Oxide Semiconductor Sensor

Development of Next-Generation Sensor with High Sensitivity and High Transparency

Kyung Hee University announced on October 17 that Professor Kang Sungjun of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, in collaboration with Ubivision Lab Co., Ltd., has developed a transparent oxide semiconductor sensor capable of detecting ultraviolet rays.

Professor Kang Sungjun and research team, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Kyung Hee University. Kyung Hee University

The research team designed a proprietary multilayered junction structure using oxide semiconductors with a wide bandgap, resulting in the development of a fully transparent p-n junction semiconductor sensor. This sensor allows visible light to pass through while precisely detecting only ultraviolet rays in the 340-350 nm range.

The sensor achieved a responsivity of 80.1 mA/W, setting a world-class standard for detection sensitivity. In addition, the proprietary junction structure enabled outstanding performance that surpasses the limitations of conventional optical sensors.

The developed sensor demonstrates immediate and stable responses even under outdoor sunlight and can continuously measure individual exposure levels even on cloudy days.

Its transparent characteristics allow seamless integration into wearable devices such as glasses, watches, and patches, providing protection for the skin and eyes from ultraviolet rays.

This technology is expected to become a core component of next-generation digital healthcare, enabling personalized ultraviolet management and prevention tailored to an individual's skin and eye conditions.

The research team, together with Ubivision Lab Co., Ltd., also developed a real-time ultraviolet monitoring solution that integrates a Bluetooth circuit and a smartphone app. This system displays ultraviolet intensity in real time under sunlight and issues a warning when the user's ultraviolet exposure reaches a hazardous level.

Professor Kang Sungjun stated, "The innovative junction structure design based on oxide semiconductors will contribute to strengthening the global competitiveness of Korea's optical sensor and transparent electronic device industries."

Meanwhile, the results of this research were published in Science Advances (IF=12.5), a sister journal of the world-renowned journal Science.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.