Search

Two-dimensional semiconductors (2DSEM) based on van der Waals crystals offer important avenues for nanotechnologies beyond the constraints of Moore's law and traditional semiconductors, such as silicon (Si). However, their application necessitates precise engineering of material properties and scalable manufacturing processes. The ability to oxidize Si to form silicon dioxide (SiO2) was crucial for the adoption of Si in modern technologies. Here, we report on the thermal oxidation of the 2DSEM gallium selenide (GaSe). The nanometer-thick layers are grown by molecular beam epitaxy on transparent sapphire (Al2O3) and feature a centro-symmetric polymorph of GaSe. Thermal annealing of the layers in an oxygen-rich environment promotes the chemical transformation and full conversion of GaSe into a thin layer of crystalline Ga2O3, paralleled by the formation of coherent Ga2O3/Al2O3 interfaces. Versatile functionalities are demonstrated in photon sensors based on GaSe and Ga2O3, ranging from electrical insulation to unfiltered deep ultraviolet optoelectronics, unlocking the technological potential of GaSe nanostructures and their amorphous and crystalline oxides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Van der Waals (vdW) atomically thin materials and their heterostructures offer a versatile platform for the management of nanoscale heat transport and the design of novel thermoelectrics. These require the measurement of highly anisotropic heat transport in vdW‐based nanolayers, a major challenge for nanostructured materials and devices. In the present study, a novel effective method of cross‐sectional scanning thermal microscopy was used to map and quantify the anisotropic heat transport in nanoscale thick layers of vdW materials and the material‐substrate interfaces. This technique measures the heat conducted into a vdW crystal via the nanoscale apex of a heat‐sensitive probe. The crystal is nano‐polished via Ar ion beams generating an oblique nearly atomically flat surface. By measuring the thermal conductance variation as a function of increasing layer thickness, the transition between the cross‐plane and in‐plane heat transport (defined by heat conductivity anisotropy) is acquired. By using an analytical model validated by finite element simulations, anisotropic thermal transport in a gamma indium selenide crystal nano‐thin flake on a Si substrate was studied, obtaining results corresponding to anomalously low anisotropic thermal conductivities of kxy = 2.16 Wm−1 K−1 in‐plane and kz = 0.89 Wm−1 K−1 cross‐plane confirming its potential for thermoelectric applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use phenomenological modelling and detailed experimental studies of charge carrier transport to investigate the dependence of the electrical resistivity, ρ, on gate voltage, V g , for a series of monolayer graphene field effect transistors with mobilities, μ, ranging between 5000 and 250 000 cm2 V−1 s−1 at low-temperature. Our measurements over a wide range of temperatures from 4 to 400 K can be fitted by the universal relation μ = 4 / e δ n max for all devices, where ρ max is the resistivity maximum at the neutrality point and δn is an 'uncertainty' in the bipolar carrier density, given by the full width at half maximum of the resistivity peak expressed in terms of carrier density, n. This relation is consistent with thermal broadening of the carrier distribution and the presence of the disordered potential landscape consisting of so-called electron–hole puddles near the Dirac point. To demonstrate its utility, we combine this relation with temperature-dependent linearised Boltzmann transport calculations that include the effect of optical phonon scattering. This approach demonstrates the similarity in the temperature-dependent behaviour of carriers in different types of single layer graphene transistors with widely differing carrier mobilities. It can also account for the relative stability, over a wide temperature range, of the measured carrier mobility of each device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stable all‐inorganic CsPbX3 perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) with high optical yield can be used in combination with graphene as photon sensors with high responsivity (up to 106 A W−1) in the VIS‐UV range. The performance of these perovskite/graphene field effect transistors (FET) is mediated by charge transfer processes at the perovskite – graphene interface. Here, the effects of high electric (up to 3000 kV cm−1) and magnetic (up to 60 T) fields applied perpendicular to the graphene plane on the charge transfer are reported. The authors demonstrate electric‐ and magnetic‐field dependent charge transfer and a slow (>100 s) charge dynamics. Magneto‐transport experiments in constant (≈0.005 T s−1) and pulsed (≈1000 T s−1) magnetic fields reveal pronounced hysteresis effects in the transfer characteristics of the FET. A magnetic time is used to explain and model differences in device behavior under fast (pulsed) and slowly (continuous) changing magnetic fields. The understanding of the dynamics of the charge transfer in perovskite/graphene heterostructures developed here is relevant for exploitation of these hybrid systems in electronics and optoelectronics, including ultrasensitive photon detectors and FETs for metrology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2D semiconductors are promising candidates for next generation electronics and optoelectronics. However, their exposure to air and/or resists during device fabrication can cause considerable degradation of material quality, hindering their study and exploitation. Here, field effect transistors (FETs) are designed and fabricated by encapsulation of the 2D semiconductor indium selenide (InSe) with alumina (Al2O3) and by self‐aligned electrical contacts. The Al2O3‐film is grown directly on InSe immediately after its exfoliation to provide a protecting capping layer during and after device fabrication. The InSe‐FETs exhibit a high electron mobility of up to ≈103 cm2 V−1 s−1 at room temperature for a 4‐nm‐thick InSe layer, a low contact resistance (down to 0.18 kΩ) and a high, fast, and broad‐band photoresponsivity. The photoresponsivity depends on the InSe‐layer thickness and photon wavelength, reaching a value of up to 108 A W−1 in the visible spectral range, at least one order of magnitude larger than previously reported for similar photodetectors. The proposed fabrication is scalable and suitable for high‐precision pattern definition. It could be extended to other 2D materials and multilayer structures where alumina could also provide effective screening of the electric field induced by polar molecules and/or charged impurities present near the surface of the 2D layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interplay between the strong intralayer covalent‐ionic bonds and the weak interlayer van der Waals (vdW) forces between the neighboring layers of vdW crystals gives rise to unique physical and chemical properties. Here, the intralayer and interlayer bondings in α and β polytypes of In2Se3 are studied, a vdW material with potential applications in advanced electronic and optical devices. Picosecond ultrasonic experiments are conducted to probe the sound velocity in the direction perpendicular to the vdW layers. The measured sound velocities are different in α‐ and β‐In2Se3, suggesting a significant difference in their elastic properties. Density functional theory and an effective spring model are used to calculate the elastic stiffness of the layer and vdW gap in α‐ and β‐In2Se3. The calculated elastic moduli show good agreement with experimental values and reveal the dominant contribution of interlayer atomic bonding to the different elastic properties of the two polytypes. The findings show the power of picosecond ultrasonics for probing the fundamental elastic properties of vdW materials. The data and analysis also provide a reliable description of the intra‐ and interlayer forces in complex crystal structures, such as the polytype phases of In2Se3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inorganic perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) have demonstrated a number of unique optical and electronic properties for optoelectronic applications. However, the physical properties of these nanostructures, such as the dynamics of charge carriers on different timescales and their effect on the optical recombination of carriers, are not yet fully understood. This work reports on a slow (>1 s) reversible quenching of the NC photoluminescence due to a light‐induced Stark effect involving defects on the surface of the NCs and the redistribution of photoexcited carriers onto the NC surface. This phenomenon can influence the operation of optoelectronic devices based on these NCs, including hybrid photosensors based on graphene decorated with inorganic perovskite NCs, revealing their prospects and limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability of a material to conduct heat influences many physical phenomena, ranging from thermal management in nanoscale devices to thermoelectrics. Van der Waals 2D materials offer a versatile platform to tailor heat transfer due to their high surface‐to‐volume ratio and mechanical flexibility. Here, the nanoscale thermal properties of 2D indium selenide (InSe) are studied by scanning thermal microscopy. The high electrical conductivity, broad‐band optical absorption, and mechanical flexibility of 2D InSe are accompanied by an anomalous low thermal conductivity (κ). This can be smaller than that of low‐κ dielectrics, such as silicon oxide, and it decreases with reducing the lateral size and/or thickness of InSe. The thermal response is probed in free‐standing InSe layers as well as layers supported by a substrate, revealing the role of interfacial thermal resistance, phonon scattering, and strain. These thermal properties are critical for future emerging technologies, such as field‐effect transistors that require efficient heat dissipation or thermoelectric energy conversion with low‐κ, high electron mobility 2D materials, such as InSe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controlling the propagation and intensity of an optical signal is central to several technologies ranging from quantum communication to signal processing. These require a versatile class of functional materials with tailored electronic and optical properties, and compatibility with different platforms for electronics and optoelectronics. Here, the inherent optical anisotropy and mechanical flexibility of atomically thin semiconducting layers are investigated and exploited to induce a controlled enhancement of optical signals. This enhancement is achieved by straining and bending layers of the van der Waals crystal indium selenide (InSe) onto a periodic array of Si‐pillars. This enhancement has strong dependence on the layer thickness and is modelled by first‐principles electronic band structure theory, revealing the role of the symmetry of the atomic orbitals and light polarization dipole selection rules on the optical properties of the bent layers. The effects described in this paper are qualitatively different from those reported in other materials, such as transition metal dichalcogenides, and do not arise from a photonic cavity effect, as demonstrated before for other semiconductors. The findings on InSe offer a route to flexible nano‐photonics compatible with silicon electronics by exploiting the flexibility and anisotropic and wide spectral optical response of a 2D layered material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2D semiconductor indium selenide (InSe) has attracted significant interest due its unique electronic band structure, high electron mobility, and wide tunability of its band gap energy achieved by varying the layer thickness. All these features make 2D InSe a potential candidate for advanced electronic and optoelectronic applications. Here, the discovery of new polymorphs of InSe with enhanced electronic properties is reported. Using a global structure search that combines artificial swarm intelligence with first‐principles energetic calculations, polymorphs that consist of a centrosymmetric monolayer belonging to the point group D3d are identified, distinct from well‐known polymorphs based on the D3h monolayers that lack inversion symmetry. The new polymorphs are thermodynamically and kinetically stable, and exhibit a wider optical spectral response and larger electron mobilities compared to the known polymorphs. Opportunities to synthesize these newly discovered polymorphs and viable routes to identify them by X‐ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and second harmonic generation experiments are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atomically thin layers of van der Waals (vdW) crystals offer an ideal material platform to realize tunnel field‐effect transistors (TFETs) that exploit the tunneling of charge carriers across the forbidden gap of a vdW heterojunction. This type of device requires a precise energy band alignment of the different layers of the junction to optimize the tunnel current. Among 2D vdW materials, black phosphorus (BP) and indium selenide (InSe) have a Brillouin zone‐centered conduction and valence bands, and a type II band offset, both ideally suited for band‐to‐band tunneling. TFETs based on BP/InSe heterojunctions with diverse electrical transport characteristics are demonstrated: forward rectifying, Zener tunneling, and backward rectifying characteristics are realized in BP/InSe junctions with different thickness of the BP layer or by electrostatic gating of the junction. Electrostatic gating yields a large on/off current ratio of up to 108 and negative differential resistance at low applied voltages (V ≈ 0.2 V). These findings illustrate versatile functionalities of TFETs based on BP and InSe, offering opportunities for applications of these 2D materials beyond the device architectures reported in the current literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of blue‐light photodiodes based on InGaN in emerging technologies, such as free‐space visible light communication (VLC), requires transformative approaches toward enhanced performance, miniaturization, and integration beyond current Si‐based technologies. This work reports on the design and realization of high‐performance InGaN‐based resonant cavity photodiodes with high‐reflectivity lateral porous GaN distributed Bragg reflectors. The well‐controlled porosification of GaN on the 2‐inch wafers enables design and fabrication of optical components, unlocking the potential of nitride semiconductors for several applications. These resonant‐cavity‐enhanced photodiodes, which have a 12 nm‐thick optically active region, exhibit a high responsivity (≈0.1 A W−1) to blue‐light even without any externally applied voltage. Furthermore, the device can operate as both an emitter and a detector of visible light at well‐defined wavelengths with spectral overlap between the electroluminescence emission and photocurrent responsivity, meeting the requirement of wavelength selectivity, thermal stability, and low‐power consumption for VLC, with potential for integration of different functionalities, that is, light emission and detection, on a single chip without additional light filters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design of advanced functional materials with customized properties often requires the use of an alloy. This approach has been used for decades, but only recently to create van der Waals (vdW) alloys for applications in electronics, optoelectronics, and thermoelectrics. A route to engineering their physical properties is by mixing isoelectronic elements, as done for the SnSe2(1−x)S2x alloy. Here, by experiment and first‐principles modeling, it is shown that the value of x can be adjusted over a wide range, indicating good miscibility of the SnS2 and SnSe2 compounds. The x‐dependence of the indirect bandgap energy from Eind = 1.20 eV for SnSe2 to Eind = 2.14 eV for SnS2, corresponds to a large bowing coefficient b ≈ 1 eV, arising from volume deformation and charge exchange effects due to the different sizes and orbital energies of the S‐ and Se‐atoms. This also causes composition‐dependent phonon energy modes, electron–phonon interaction, and temperature dependence of Eind. The alloys are exfoliable into thin layers with properties that depend on the composition, but only weakly on the layer thickness. This work shows that the electronic and vibrational properties of the SnSe2(1−x)S2x alloy and its thin layers provide a versatile platform for development and exploitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indium selenide (InSe) is an emerging two-dimensional semiconductor and a promising candidate for next generation thin film transistors (TFTs). Here, we report on Schottky barrier TFTs (SB-TFTs) in which a 0.9-nm-thick HfO2 dielectric layer encapsulates an InSe nanosheet, thus protecting the InSe-channel from the environment and reducing the Schottky-contact resistance through a dielectric dipole effect. These devices exhibit a low saturation source-drain voltage Vsat < 2 V and current densities of up to J = 2 mA/mm, well suited for low-power electronics. We present a detailed analysis of this type of transistor using the Y-function method from which we obtain accurate estimates of the contact resistance and field-effect mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The controlled manipulation of the spin and charge of electrons in a semiconductor has the potential to create new routes to digital electronics beyond Moore's law, spintronics, and quantum detection and imaging for sensing applications. These technologies require a shift from traditional semiconducting and magnetic nanostructured materials. Here, a new material system is reported, which comprises the InSe semiconductor van der Waals crystal that embeds ferromagnetic Fe‐islands. In contrast to many traditional semiconductors, the electronic properties of InSe are largely preserved after the incorporation of Fe. Also, this system exhibits ferromagnetic resonances and a large uniaxial magnetic anisotropy at room temperature, offering opportunities for the development of functional devices that integrate magnetic and semiconducting properties within the same material system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Highly doped semiconductors (HDSCs) are promising candidates for plasmonic applications in the mid‐infrared (MIR) spectral range. This work examines a recent addition to the HDSC family, the dilute nitride alloy In(AsN). Postgrowth hydrogenation of In(AsN) creates a highly conducting channel near the surface and a surface plasmon polariton detected by attenuated total reflection techniques. The suppression of plasmonic effects following a photoannealing of the semiconductor is attributed to the dissociation of the NH bond. This offers new routes for direct patterning of MIR plasmonic structures by laser writing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic interactions of Mn2+ ions in lead sulfide (PbS) nanocrystals with protons in water are probed by NMR and MRI. A thin layer of capping molecules enables free solvent diffusion to the nanocrystal surface resulting in a decrease of proton relaxation times. Magnetic resonance imaging of neuronal cell pellets exposed to (PbMn)S at non-toxic concentrations demonstrates their prospects as MRI-labels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Substitution of constituent atoms and/or changes of crystal structure are routinely used to tailor the fundamental properties of a semiconductor. Here, it is shown that such a tailoring can also be realized thanks to a novel hydrogen effect. Four hydrogen atoms can screen the effect the crystal potential has on a constituent cation, thus generating a solitary cation: an effectively isolated impurity, so chemically different from the unscreened constituent cations that it strongly perturbs the electronic properties of the material by increasing its fundamental band-gap energy. Such a hydrogen-induced screening effect is removed by thermal treatments, thus permitting reversible modifications of both the 'crystal chemistry' and material's properties. This phenomenon, observed in InN and other topical nitrides, should permit the development of a new class of materials as well as the fabrication of photonic devices and optical integrated circuits with distinct, tailor-made regions emitting or absorbing light, all integrated onto a monolithic semiconductor structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Room temperature electroluminescence from semiconductor junctions is demonstrated. The junctions are fabricated by the exfoliation and direct mechanical adhesion of InSe and GaSe van der Waals layered crystals. Homojunction diodes formed from layers of p‐ and n‐type InSe exhibit electroluminescence at energies close to the bandgap energy of InSe (Eg = 1.26 eV). In contrast, heterojunction diodes formed by combining layers of p‐type GaSe and n‐type InSe emit photons at lower energies, which is attributed to the generation of spatially indirect excitons and a staggered valence band lineup for the holes at the GaSe/InSe interface. These results demonstrate the technological potential of mechanically formed heterojunctions and homojunctions of direct‐bandgap layered GaSe and InSe compounds with an optical response over an extended wavelength range, from the near‐infrared to the visible spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is the 3rd most common cancer worldwide, thus development of novel therapeutic strategies is imperative. Herein potent, selective dose-dependent antitumor activity of horse spleen apoferritin encapsulated PbS quantum dots (AFt-PbS) against two human-derived colorectal carcinoma cell lines is reported (GI50∼ 70 μg mL−1). Following in vitro exposure to AFt-PbS, CRC cells fail to recover proliferative capacity, and undergo apoptosis triggered by the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In stark contrast, the AFt-PbS nanocomposites do not affect the growth and cell cycle of non-tumor human microvessel endothelial HMEC-1 cells (GI50 ＞ 500 μg mL−1). In vivo, AFt-PbS QDs are well tolerated by mice. Neither adverse health nor behavioral indicators were observed throughout the 15 day study. The photoluminescence of AFt-PbS combined with selective antitumor activity offer potential development of AFt-PbS for simultaneous non-invasive imaging and treatment of malignant tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mn‐doped PbS colloidal nanocrystals in aqueous solution are paramagnetic and optically active in the technologically important biological window between 1.2 and 0.8 μm. Cytoxicity studies show that exposure of human cell lines to the nanoparticles at concentrations up to 0.2 mg mL−1 does not induce any adverse effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The puzzling electronic and transport properties of the Ga(AsBi) alloy are investigated for a wide range of Bi-concentrations ( x = 0-10.6%) by means of various experimental techniques in high magnetic fields ( B up to 30 T): magneto-photoluminescence spectroscopy, magneto-far-infrared (FIR) absorption spectroscopy, and Hall effect measurements. Our experimental findings suggest that the strength of hybridization of the continuum states of the valence and conduction bands with the Bi-related electronic levels depends on the Bi-concentration, thus leading to band edges with a localized (for x < 6%) or band-like character (for x > 8%). We report an unusual compositional-dependence of the exciton reduced mass ( µexc), whose value can be larger (for x < 6%) or smaller (for x > 8%) than in GaAs depending on the Bi-concentration. Correspondingly, the free-hole mobility ( µh) decreases with increasing Bi-concentration and eventually tends to increase for x > ∼8%. The incorporation of Bi in GaAs also induces the formation of acceptor levels, which we reveal by FIR absorption spectroscopy and Hall effect measurements. The Bi-induced acceptors are characterized by an exceedingly high value of the effective ground-state g-factor ( geff ∼ 15) and are responsible for the increasing p-type conductivity observed in nominally undoped Ga(AsBi) alloys with increasing Bi-concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]