Radiation-hardened detectors are crucial for space missions, nuclear monitoring, and high-energy physics experiments, where ionizing radiation severely limits the lifetime and stability of conventional devices. In this work, we present a multi-layer heterostructure detector integrating ZnO (50 nm), MoS₂ (5 nm), h-BN (2 nm), trilayer graphene, and black phosphorus (10 nm), fabricated through sequential CVD growth and polymer-assisted transfer. The materials stack is optimized via coupled TCAD ATLAS and COMSOL simulations to suppress displacement damage, interface traps, and carrier leakage under total ionizing dose ( TID ) and single event effects ( SEE ). Processing scalability and uniformity were assessed through simulation-guided parameter calibration, benchmarked to experimental Raman, AFM, and X-ray data reported in previous studies, confirming the methodological reproducibility within the modeled framework.Under pristine conditions, the device achieves a dark-current density of 2.3 × 10⁻⁹ A/cm², detectivity of 8.2 × 10¹² Jones, and responsivity of 4.7 × 10³ A/W at 30 keV. Upon exposure to ≥ 5.5 kGy ionizing radiation, threshold-voltage shifts remain below 2.8 V, with 87% recovery after low-temperature annealing (150 °C). Performance modeling predicts 10-year operation in harsh environments. This study demonstrates the combined advantages of precise materials processing and physics-based simulation in enabling next-generation, long-lived radiation-hard detectors.
Arash Vaghef-Koodehi (Thu,) studied this question.