Band gap engineering of atomically thin two-dimensional semiconductors

Atomically thin two-dimensional(2D) layered materials have potential applications in nanoelectronics, nanophotonics, and integrated optoelectronics. Band gap engineering of these 2D semiconductors is critical for their broad applications in high-performance integrated devices, such as broad-band photodetectors, multi-color light emitting diodes(LEDs), and high-efficiency photovoltaic devices. In this review, we will summarize the recent progress on the controlled growth of composition modulated atomically thin 2D semiconductor alloys with band gaps tuned in a wide range, as well as their induced applications in broadly tunable optoelectronic components. The band gap engineered 2D semiconductors could open up an exciting opportunity for probing their fundamental physical properties in 2D systems and may find diverse applications in functional electronic/optoelectronic devices.     

Chemical vapor deposition growth of two-dimensional heterojunctions

The properties of two-dimensional (2D) layered materials with atom-smooth surface and special interlayer van der Waals coupling are different from those of traditional materials. Due to the absence of dangling bonds from the clean surface of 2D layered materials, the lattice mismatch influences slightly on the growth of 2D heterojunctions, thus providing a flexible design strategy. 2D heterojunctions have attracted extensive attention because of their excellent performance in optoelectronics, spintronics, and valleytronics. The transfer method was utilized for the fabrication of 2D heterojunctions during the early stage of fundamental research on these materials. This method, however, has limited practical applications. Therefore, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method was recently developed and applied for the preparation of 2D heterojunctions. The CVD method is a naturally down-top growth strategy that yields 2D heterojunctions with sharp interfaces. Moreover, this method effectively reduces the introduction of contaminants to the fabricated heterojunctions. Nevertheless, the CVD-growth method is sensitive to variations in growth conditions. In this review article, we attempt to provide a comprehensive overview of the influence of growth conditions on the fabrication of 2D heterojunctions through the direct CVD method. We believe that elucidating the effects of growth conditions on the CVD method is necessary to help control and improve the efficiency of the large-scale fabrication of 2D heterojunctions for future applications in integrated circuits.     

Photodetectors based on two-dimensional materials and organic thin-film heterojunctions

High-performance photodetectors are expected to open up revolutionary opportunities in many application fields, such as environment monitoring, military, optical communication and biomedical science. Combining two-dimensional materials(which have tunable optical absorption and high carrier mobility) with organic materials(which are abundant with low cost, high flexibility and large-area scalability) to form thin-film heterojunctions, high-responsivity photodetectors could be predicted with fast response speed in a wide spectra region.In this review, we give a comprehensive summary of photodetectors based on two-dimensional materials and organic thin-film heterojunctions, which includes hybrid assisted enhanced devices, single-layer enhanced devices, vertical heterojunction devices and tunable vertical heterojunction devices. We also give a systematic classification and perspectives on the future development of these types of photodetectors.     

Low-frequency interlayer vibration modes in two-dimensional layered materials

Two-dimensional (2D) layered materials have been attracted tremendous research interest because of their novel photoelectric properties. If a single atomic layer instead of individual atoms is taken as a rigid motion object, two unique interlayer vibrations, i.e. compression/breathing and shear motions, at ultra-low frequencies can be expected and actually have been observed in many layered materials. The vibrations stem from the interlayer van der Waals interaction and can be well described by a conventional linear-chain model in most cases. The vibration frequencies strongly depend on layer thickness, which enables an accurate determination of layer numbers. A quick and nondestructive determination of flake thickness is particularly important for the materials, since the physical properties can be dramatically changed in the cases of several atomic layers. As a measure of interlayer coupling, the low-frequency modes are also sensitive to the stacking methods of atomic layers and the overlapping of different kinds of 2D materials. This allows the modes to play a key role in the applications like van der Waals heterojunctions. In this paper, we will give a brief review on the experimental observations and theoretical understanding of the interlayer modes in several typical 2D systems, as well as their actual and potential applications.     

Electronic Transport and Thermopower in 2D and 3D Heterostructures—A Theory Perspective

The impact of interfaces and heterojuctions on the electronic and thermoelectric transport properties of materials is discussed herein. Recent progress in understanding electronic transport in heterostructures of 2D materials ranging from graphene to transition metal dichalcogenides, their homojunctions (grain boundaries), lateral heterojunctions (such as graphene/MoS₂ lateral interfaces), and vertical van der Waals heterostructures is reviewed. Work on thermopower in 2D heterojunctions, as well as their applications in creating devices such as resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs), is also discussed. Last, the focus turns to work in 3D heterostructures. While transport in 3D heterostructures has been researched for several decades, here recent progress in theory and simulation of quantum effects on transport via the Wigner and non‐equilibrium Green's functions approaches is reviewed. These simulation techniques have been successfully applied toward understanding the impact of heterojunctions on transport properties and thermopower, which finds applications in energy harvesting, and electron resonant tunneling, with applications in RTDs. In conclusion, tremendous progress has been made in both simulation and experiments toward the goal of understanding transport in heterostructures and this progress will soon be parlayed into improved energy converters and quantum nanoelectronic devices.     

Anisotropic phonon thermal transport in two-dimensional layered materials

Two-dimensional layered materials (2DLMs) have attracted growing attention in optoelectronic devices due to their intriguing anisotropic physical properties. Different members of 2DLMs exhibit unique anisotropic electrical, optical, and thermal properties, fundamentally related to their crystal structure. Among them, directional heat transfer plays a vital role in the thermal management of electronic devices. Here, we use density functional theory calculations to investigate the thermal transport properties of representative layered materials: β-InSe, γ-InSe, MoS₂, and h-BN. We found that the lattice thermal conductivities of β-InSe, γ-InSe, MoS₂, and h-BN display diverse anisotropic behaviors with anisotropy ratios of 10.4, 9.4, 64.9, and 107.7, respectively. The analysis of the phonon modes further indicates that the phonon group velocity is responsible for the anisotropy of thermal transport. Furthermore, the low lattice thermal conductivity of the layered InSe mainly comes from low phonon group velocity and atomic masses. Our findings provide a fundamental physical understanding of the anisotropic thermal transport in layered materials. We hope this study could inspire the advancement of 2DLMs thermal management applications in next-generation integrated electronic and optoelectronic devices.     

二维平面和范德瓦耳斯异质结的可控制备与光电应用

自石墨烯被发现以来,二维材料因其优异的特性获得了持续且深入的探索与发展,以石墨烯、六方氮化硼、过渡金属硫化物、黑磷等为代表的二维材料相关研究层出不穷.随着二维新材料制备与应用探索的不断发展,单一材料性能的不足逐渐凸显,研究者们开始考虑采用平面拼接和层间堆垛所产生的协同效应来弥补单一材料的不足,甚至获得一些新的性能.利用二维材料晶格结构的匹配构建异质结,实现特定的功能化,或利用范德瓦耳斯力进行堆垛,将不同二维材料排列组合,从而在体系里引入新的自由度,为二维材料的性质研究和实际应用打开了新的窗口.本文从原子制造角度,介绍了二维平面和范德瓦耳斯异质结材料的可控制备和光电应用.首先简要介绍了应用于异质结制备的常见二维材料的分类及异质结的相关概念,然后从原理上分类列举了常用的表征方法,随后介绍了平面和垂直异质结的制备方法,并对其光电性质及器件应用做了简要介绍.最后,对领域内存在的问题进行了讨论,对未来发展方向做出了展望.     

化学气相沉积法制备大面积二维材料薄膜:方法与机制

近年来,二维层状材料由于其丰富的材料体系和独特的物理化学性质而受到人们的广泛关注.后摩尔时代要求器件高度集成化,大面积、高质量的二维材料可以保证器件中结构和电子性能的连续性.要实现二维材料工业级别的规模化生产,样品的可控制备是其前提.化学气相沉积是满足上述要求的一种强有力的方法,已广泛应用于二维材料及其复合结构的生长制...     

The rise of two-dimensional tellurium for next-generation electronics and optoelectronics

Single-element two-dimensional (2D) tellurium (Te) which possesses an unusual quasi-one-dimensional atomic chain structure is a new member in 2D materials family. 2D Te possesses high carrier mobility, wide tunable bandgap, strong light-matter interaction, better environmental stability, and strong anisotropy, making Te exhibit tremendous application potential in next-generation electronic and optoelectronic devices. However, as an emerging 2D material, the research on fundamental property and device application of Te is still in its infancy. Hence, this review summarizes the most recent research progresses about the new star 2D Te and discusses its future development direction. Firstly, the structural features, basic physical properties, and various preparation methods of 2D Te are systemically introduced. Then, we emphatically summarize the booming development of 2D Te-based electronic and optoelectronic devices including field effect transistors, photodetectors and van der Waals heterostructure photodiodes. Finally, the future challenges, opportunities, and development directions of 2D Te-based electronic and optoelectronic devices are prospected.     

Dimensional crossover tuned by pressure in layered magnetic NiPS_3

The physical properties of most 2D materials are highly dependent on the nature of their interlayer interaction. In-depth studies of the interlayer interaction are beneficial to the understanding of the physical properties of 2D materials and permit the development of related devices. Layered magnetic NiPS_3 has unique magnetic and electronic properties. The electronic band structure and corresponding magnetic state of NiPS_3 are expected to be sensitive to the interlayer interaction, which can be tuned by external pressure. Here, we report an insulator-metal transition accompanied by the collapse of magnetic order during the 2D-3D structural crossover induced by hydrostatic pressure. A two-stage phase transition from a monoclinic(C2/m) to a trigonal(P31m)lattice is identified via ab initio simulations and confirmed via high-pressure X-ray diffraction and Raman scattering; this transition corresponds to a layer-by-layer slip mechanism along the a-axis. Temperature-dependent resistance measurements and room temperature infrared spectroscopy under different pressures demonstrate that the insulator-metal transition and the collapse of the magnetic order occur at ~20 GPa, which is confirmed by low-temperature Raman scattering measurements and theoretical calculations. These results establish a strong correlation between the structural change, electric transport, and magnetic phase transition and expand our understanding of layered magnetic materials. Moreover, the structural transition caused by the interlayer displacement has significance for designing similar devices at ambient pressure.     

基于PbMg_(1/3)Nb_(2/3)O_3-PbTiO_3压电单晶的磁电复合薄膜材料研究进展

电子信息技术的迅速发展对磁电功能器件的微型化、智能化、多功能化以及灵敏度、可靠性、低功耗等都提出了更高的需求,传统的块体磁电功能材料已日渐不能满足上述需求,而层状磁电复合薄膜材料同时具有铁电性、铁磁性和磁电耦合等多种特性,因此能满足上述需求且有望应用于新一代磁电功能器件.层状磁电复合材料不仅具有非常丰富的物理现象和效应,而且在弱磁探测器、多态存储器、电写磁读存储器、电场可调低功耗滤波器、移相器、天线等微波器件中也具有广阔的应用前景,因而受到材料科学家和物理学家广泛的关注和研究.在层状磁电复合材料中,功能薄膜/铁电单晶异质结因其制备简单、结构设计和材料选择灵活以及电场调控方便和有效,最近十余年引起了越来越多的研究人员的兴趣.目前,以具有优异铁电和压电性能的(1-x)PbMg_(1/3)Nb_(2/3)O_3-PbTiO_3(PMN-PT)单晶作为衬底,构建功能薄膜/PMN-PT异质结已成为国内外多铁性复合薄膜材料研究领域的重要方向之一.相比于其他国家,我国科学家无论在发表的文章数量还是在文章被引用次数方面都处于领先地位,表明我国在功能薄膜/PMN-PT单晶异质结方面的研究卓有成效.迄今为止,研究人员已构建了锰氧化合物/PMN-PT、铁氧体/PMN-PT、铁磁金属/PMN-PT、稀磁半导体/PMN-PT、发光材料/PMN-PT、二维材料/PMN-PT、多层薄膜/PMN-PT、超导薄膜/PMN-PT等多种类型的异质结,在理论研究和实验方面都取得了丰富的研究成果.本文对基于PMN-PT压电单晶的磁电复合薄膜材料的研究进展进行了总结:简要介绍了与功能薄膜/PMN-PT异质结相关的研究论文发表现状;介绍了PMN-PT单晶在准同型相界附近的相图和应变特性;按照功能薄膜材料所属的体系对异质结进行了分类,并选取部分代表性的研究成果,介绍了材料的磁电性能和内涵的物理机制;最后就目前有待解决的问题和未来可能的应用方向进行了总结和展望.     

Local probe of the interlayer coupling strength of few-layers SnSe by contact-resonance atomic force microscopy

The interlayer bonding in two-dimensional (2D) materials is particularly important because it is not only related to their physical and chemical stability but also affects their mechanical, thermal, electronic, optical, and other properties. To address this issue, we report the direct characterization of the interlayer bonding in 2D SnSe using contact-resonance atomic force microscopy (CR-AFM) in this study. Site-specific CR spectroscopy and CR force spectroscopy measurements are performed on both SnSe and its supporting SiO₂/Si substrate comparatively. Based on the cantilever and contact mechanic models, the contact stiffness and vertical Young’s modulus are evaluated in comparison with SiO₂/Si as a reference material. The interlayer bonding of SnSe is further analyzed in combination with the semi-analytical model and density functional theory calculations. The direct characterization of interlayer interactions using this non-destructive methodology of CR-AFM would facilitate a better understanding of the physical and chemical properties of 2D layered materials, specifically for interlayer intercalation and vertical heterostructures.     

二维材料异质结高灵敏度红外探测器

要想实现弱光探测,需要探测器具有高灵敏度.石墨烯、过渡金属硫化物、黑磷等二维材料因具有宽光谱吸收、带隙可调、高载流子迁移率等良好的光学与电学性能,广泛应用于红外探测器的制作,然而这些材料存在弱光吸收、载流子迁移率低、空气稳定性差等问题,制约了其在高灵敏度红外探测领域的应用.同单一的二维材料相比,二维材料异质结不仅具有各...     

Structural features and electronic properties of Group-IIIB pnictides nanosheets and nanoribbons

Two-dimensional (2D) materials exhibit unique electronic properties compared with their bulks. A systematical study of new type 2D tetragonal materials of MPn (M = Sc and Y; Pn = P, As and Sb) nanosheets and the corresponding nanoribbons are proposed by density functional theory calculations. Several thermodynamically stable 2D tetragonal structures were firstly determined, and such novel tetragonal structures bilayer MPn(100) exhibit extraordinary Weyl semimetal electronic structures, while monolayer MPn(110) are semiconductors. Moreover, bilayer MPn(100) nanoribbons with zigzag edges show metallic behavior, whereas those with linear edges show semiconducting properties. The band gaps for bilayer MPn(100) nanoribbons with linear edges can be significantly tuned by their widths. The zero-gap semiconducting behaviors of 2D tetragonal MPn nanosheets and the tunable band gaps of 1D MPn nanoribbons provide these MPn nanosheets and nanoribbons with promising applications in nanoscale electronic devices.     

Modulation of Schottky barrier in XSi2N4/graphene (X=Mo and W) heterojunctions by biaxial strain

Reducing the Schottky barrier height (SBH) and even achieving the transition from Schottky contacts to Ohmic contacts are key challenges of achieving high energy efficiency and high-performance power devices. In this paper, the modulation effects of biaxial strain on the electronic properties and Schottky barrier of MoSi₂N₄ (MSN)/graphene and WSi₂N₄ (WSN)/graphene heterojunctions are examined by using first principles calculations. After the construction of heterojunctions, the electronic structures of MSN, WSN, and graphene are well preserved. Herein, we show that by applying suitable external strain to a heterojunction stacked by MSN or WSN — an emerging two-dimensional (2D) semiconductor family with excellent mechanical properties — and graphene, the heterojunction can be transformed from Schottky p-type contacts into n-type contacts, even highly efficient Ohmic contacts, making it of critical importance to unleash the tremendous potentials of graphene-based van der Waals (vdW) heterojunctions. Not only are these findings invaluable for designing high-performance graphene-based electronic devices, but also they provide an effective route to realizing dynamic switching either between n-type and p-type Schottky contacts, or between Schottky contacts and Ohmic contacts.     

高质量单层二硫化钼薄膜的研究进展

作为一种新型的二维半导体材料,单层二硫化钼薄膜由于其优异的特性,在电子学与光电子学等众多领域具有潜在的应用价值.本文综述了我们课题组在过去几年中针对单层二硫化钼薄膜的研究所取得的进展,具体包括:在二硫化钼薄膜的制备方面,通过氧辅助化学气相沉积方法,实现了大尺寸单层二硫化钼单晶的可控生长和晶圆级单层二硫化钼薄膜的高定向外延生长;在二硫化钼薄膜的加工方面,发展了单层二硫化钼薄膜的无损转移、洁净图案化加工、可控结构相变与局域相调控的方法,为场效应晶体管等电子学器件的制备与性能优化提供了基础;在二硫化钼异质结方面,研究了二硫化钼薄膜与其他二维材料形成的异质结的电学以及光电性质,为二维材料异质结的构筑和器件特性研究提供了实验参考;在二硫化钼薄膜功能化器件与应用方面,构筑了全二维材料、亚5 nm超短沟道场效应晶体管器件,验证了单层二硫化钼对短沟道效应的有效抑制及其在5 nm工艺节点器件中的应用优势;此外,利用制备的高质量单层二硫化钼和发展的器件洁净加工技术,实现了高性能柔性薄膜晶体管的集成,获得了超高灵敏度与稳定性的非接触型湿度传感器.我们在二硫化钼薄膜的制备、加工以及器件特性研究方面所取得的进展对于二硫化钼及其他二维过渡金属硫属化合物的基础和应用研究均具有指导意义.     

Theoretical study of the thermodynamic stability and electronic structure of thin films of 3C, 2H,and 2D silicon carbides

Silicon carbide is among the most common materials used in semiconductor engineering. Silicon carbide thin films are attractive from the standpoint of designing devices based on heterojunctions. This is due to a characteristic feature of this compound, such as polytypism, leading to the difference in the physical properties and also hampering the preparation of high-quality material samples. In this work, the thermodynamic stability and electronic structure of thin films based on the polytypes 3C, 2H, and 2D with a thickness of a few nanometers have been studied.     

Light–matter interaction of 2D materials:Physics and device applications

In the last decade, the rise of two-dimensional(2D) materials has attracted a tremendous amount of interest for the entire field of photonics and opto-electronics. The mechanism of light–matter interaction in 2D materials challenges the knowledge of materials physics, which drives the rapid development of materials synthesis and device applications. 2D materials coupled with plasmonic effects show impressive optical characteristics, involving efficient charge transfer, plasmonic hot electrons doping, enhanced light-emitting, and ultrasensitive photodetection. Here, we briefly review the recent remarkable progress of 2D materials, mainly on graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides, focusing on their tunable optical properties and improved opto-electronic devices with plasmonic effects. The mechanism of plasmon enhanced light–matter interaction in 2D materials is elaborated in detail, and the state-of-the-art of device applications is comprehensively described. In the future, the field of 2D materials holds great promise as an important platform for materials science and opto-electronic engineering, enabling an emerging interdisciplinary research field spanning from clean energy to information technology.     

基于熔融玻璃的预沉积法生长毫米级单晶MoS2及WS2-MoS2异质结

MoS₂是一种具有优异光电性能和奇特物理性质的二维材料,在电子器件领域具有巨大的应用潜力.高效可控生长出大尺寸单晶MoS₂是该材料进入产业应用所必须克服的重大难关,而化学气相沉积技术被认为是工业化生产二维材料的最有效手段.本文介绍了一种利用磁控溅射预沉积钼源至熔融玻璃上,通过快速升温的化学气相沉积技术生长出尺寸达1 mm的单晶MoS₂的方法,并通过引入WO₃粉末生长出了二硫化钼与二硫化钨的横向异质结(WS₂-MoS₂).拉曼和荧光光谱仪测试表明所生长的样品具有较好的晶体质量.利用转移电极技术制备出了背栅器件样品并对其进行了电学测试,在室温常压下开关比可达10~5,迁移率可达4.53 cm~2/(V·s).这种低成本高质量的大尺寸材料生长方法为二维材料电子器件的大规模应用找到了出路.     

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) heterostructures: Optoelectric properties

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) have suitable and adjustable band gaps, high carrier mobility and yield. Layered TMDCs have attracted great attention due to the structure diversity, stable existence in normal temperature environment and the band gap corresponding to wavelength between infrared and visible region. The ultra-thin, flat, almost defect-free surface, excellent mechanical flexibility and chemical stability provide convenient conditions for the construction of different types of TMDCs heterojunctions. The optoelectric properties of heterojunctions based on TMDCs materials are summarized in this review. Special electronic band structures of TMDCs heterojunctions lead to excellent optoelectric properties. The emitter, p-n diodes, photodetectors and photosensitive devices based on TMDCs heterojunction materials show excellent performance. These devices provide a prototype for the design and development of future high-performance optoelectric devices.