Van der Waals interfaces in multilayer junctions for ultraviolet photodetection

Xie, Shihong; Shiffa, Mustaqeem; Shiffa, Mujahid; Kudrynskyi, Zakhar R; Makarovskiy, Oleg; Kovalyuk, Zakhar D; Zhu, Wenkai; Wang, Kaiyou; Patanè, Amalia

Abstract

Developments in semiconductor science have led to the miniaturization and improvement of light detection technologies for many applications. However, traditional pn-junctions or three-dimensional device geometries for detection of ultraviolet (UV) light are still limited by the physical properties of the semiconductors used, such as the small penetration depth of UV light in silicon. Van der Waals (vdW) semiconductors and their pn-junctions can offer an alternative solution due to their optical properties and thin pn-junction region. Here, we report on a multi-layer junction that combines single layer graphene and vdW semiconductors (p-GaSe and n-In2Se3) with strong optical absorption in the UV range. The junctions have broadband spectral response (0.3-1.0 μm) and high photoresponsivity under forward and reverse bias, or without any externally applied voltage. The photoresponse differs from that of a traditional pn-junction diode as it is governed by charge transport across thin layers and light-current conversion at three vdW interfaces (e.g. the graphene/GaSe, GaSe/In2Se3 and In2Se3/graphene interfaces). The type-II band alignment at the GaSe/In2Se3 interface and electric field at the three vdW interfaces are beneficial to suppress carrier recombination for enhanced photoresponsivity (up to ~102 A/W) and detectivity (up to ~1013 Jones), beyond conventional UV-enhanced silicon detection technology.

Citation

Xie, S., Shiffa, M., Shiffa, M., Kudrynskyi, Z. R., Makarovskiy, O., Kovalyuk, Z. D., …Patanè, A. (2022). Van der Waals interfaces in multilayer junctions for ultraviolet photodetection. npj 2D Materials and Applications, 6(1), Article 61. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41699-022-00338-0

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 24, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Sep 8, 2022
• Publication Date: Dec 1, 2022
• Deposit Date: Aug 25, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 8, 2022
• Journal: npj 2D Materials and Applications
• Electronic ISSN: 2397-7132
• Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 6
• Issue: 1
• Article Number: 61
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41699-022-00338-0
• Keywords: Mechanical Engineering; Mechanics of Materials; Condensed Matter Physics; General Materials Science; General Chemistry
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/10364732
• Publisher URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41699-022-00338-0