We fabricated selective photodetectors on the basis of graded-gap GaAlAs/GaAs heterostructures and quantum-confined GaInN/GaN structures. At lambda = lambda(max) the monochromatic photosensitivity is in the range of 0.1-0.7 A/W (GaAlAs/GaAs), 0.15 A/W (GaInN/GaN). The methods are developed for control over the photosensitivity band width and its energy position in the 0.35-1.1 mum by varying technological factors (such as gap gradient, spacing between the metallurgical boundary and p-n junction, minority charge carrier diffusion length). (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.