Interfacial quality is a key determinant of semiconductor optoelectronic performance, governing carrier transport, recombination, and noise, and often limiting ultimate device figures of merit. To address interfacial constraints, we introduce a damage-free, complementary interface optimization by combining an ultrathin ZrO2 passivation formed via room-temperature photochemical deposition with van der Waals (vdW) Au contacts. The conformal ZrO2 interlayer suppresses surface trap states and increases the effective Schottky barrier height to 1.24 eV, whereas vdW metal contacts minimize interfacial damage and mitigate metal-induced gap states. Implemented in GaN ultraviolet photodetectors, this vdW Au/ZrO2/GaN back-to-back Schottky architecture yields ultralow dark current (∼2 × 10-13 A), high responsivity (20.26 A/W with internal gain ∼70), fast temporal response (rise time ∼50 μs), and an ultrawide linear dynamic range of 141.47 dB. Specific detectivity exceeds 1 × 1012 Jones under the 1/f noise limit, corresponding to a noise-equivalent power on the order of 10-14 W. Benchmarking against state-of-the-art GaN Schottky photodiodes and commercial UV detectors shows improvements of one to three orders of magnitude in key performance metrics. This room-temperature, solution-processable, vacuum-free strategy integrates damage-free vdW contacts with photochemical dielectric passivation to reduce interface state density and enhance carrier transport, providing a versatile and scalable platform for high-performance wide-bandgap optoelectronic devices.

2D optoelectronic devices, such as photomemory and photodetectors, have exceptional potential for realising multifunctional applications. Modulating persistent photoconductivity (PPC) is key to enabling diverse functionalities and optimising device performance. However, PPC in 2D devices is difficult to modulate due to surface defects (trap states), Fermi level pinning, and the Schottky barrier height at junctions. In this study, we demonstrate that reducing surface defects and Fermi level pinning enables barrier engineering for effective PPC modulation. The persistent photoconductivity gain (PPCG) is tunable from 307.6% to 4.72%, enabled by tailoring the Schottky barrier height through a van der Waals contact strategy. A high PPCG (307.6%) is achieved in a high-barrier Au/MoS2 junction, suitable for optoelectronic synapses, neuromorphic computing, and photomemory applications, with a relaxation current linearity of up to 0.986. A low PPCG (4.72%) is achieved in a low-barrier 1T'-WTe2/MoS2 junction, designed for photodetectors with an on/off ratio of 105, a response time of 2ms, and a responsivity of 30.1 A/W. These findings advance the understanding of PPC and provide new avenues for designing high-performance 2D optoelectronic devices.

Among viable approaches to address the current energy crisis, photocatalytic water splitting to produce hydrogen (H2) stands out as a promising strategy for converting solar energy into storable chemical energy. In this study, FeCoNiCuPt high-entropy alloy particles (HEA) are loaded onto protonated g-C3N4 nanosheets (HCN NSs) to construct HEA/HCN composites through an electrostatic self-assembly method. Protonation treatment enriches the surface of g-C3N4 nanosheets with abundant active sites and enhances their interfacial charge separation capability. The optimal HEA/HCN composite exhibits a remarkable hydrogen evolution rate of 1672 µmol·h-1·g-1, representing a 98.35-fold enhancement compared to pristine HCN. The apparent quantum efficiency of HEA/HCN composite reaches 3.23% at λ = 370nm. Experimental characterizations reveal that the 2D ultrathin protonated g-C3N4 nanosheets possess a substantial specific surface area and shortened charge transfer distance, facilitating rapid migration of photoexcited electrons. The incorporation of HEA cocatalysts not only introduces additional active sites but also establishes Schottky junctions at the HEA/HCN interface. The synergistic effect effectively accelerates electron transport and suppresses the recombination of photogenerated carriers, thereby significantly enhancing the photocatalytic H2 production performance. This work provides new insights into the future application of high-entropy alloys as novel cocatalysts in photocatalysis.

Heteroatom doping strategy to construct hierarchical 3D/2D P-CoSe2/Ti3C2Tx reinforced Mott-Schottky barrier for advanced energy conversion applications.

Synergistic enhancement of solar fuel production in hierarchical Au-CN/LTO nanojunction via surface plasmon resonance effect and Schottky junction

Mechanism analysis of performance enhancement in GaN terahertz Schottky barrier diodes by post-anode annealing

Annealing and thickness-controlled engineering of n-ZnSe nanostructured thin films for high-performance Schottky barrier and photovoltaic applications

Effect of electric field, strain, and their synergistic interaction on Schottky barrier tuning and electronic structures in 2D TaSe2/SeMoSiP2 heterostructures

Dual-engine mode based on defective ZnCdS/hierarchical NiCo2S4 for full-spectrum photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

Au NPs/CuTCPP(Cu) Schottky junction amplified photocathode aptasensor: Using Staphylococcus aureus as model of target analyte

Embedding low-coordinated cobalt nanoparticle into carbon nitrogen polymer to construct Schottky junction for effective degradation of fluorine-containing antibiotic via peroxymonosulfate activation

Interface ultrafast charge transfer of 1T-MoS2/ZnCdS QDs Schottky junction for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Photocatalytic synergistic enhancement of PE antibacterial microfiber fabrics via Schottky junction engineering

Freestanding plasmonic BiVO4@AuNPs//dendritic CdS QDs with programmable carrier-direction switching for low-background photoelectrochemical PARP-1 detection in cancer tissues.

2D semiconductors offer a promising platform for next-generation integrated circuits and large-scale electronic systems. Realizing high-performance p-type transistors, however, remains challenging due to Fermi-level pinning, high contact resistance, and poorly defined interfaces in conventional stepwise fabrication. Here, we demonstrate a single-step tellurization growth strategy that simultaneously forms PtTe2 contacts on 2H-MoTe2 channels to directly realize 2D semiconductor transistors. This approach forms PtTe2/2H-MoTe2 metal/semiconductor arrays with precise control of the MoTe2 phase at the PtTe2 electrode interface, while providing integrated van der Waals metallic contacts without the need for post-growth of metal contacts. Using this method, we achieve wafer-scale heterophase arrays characterized by uniform patterning and well-controlled 2H/1T' phase transformation dynamics. The heterojunctions display sharp and clean interfaces, as verified by TEM, STEM, and EDS mapping. Transistor arrays fabricated from these heterophase structures show Ohmic contacts with low Schottky barrier heights, delivering on/off ratios up to 5 × 104 and consistent mobility of 5-9 cm2/Vs across 100 devices, ensuring efficient carrier injection. Our results establish a scalable pathway for the direct growth of 2D semiconductor transistors, overcoming conventional multi-step device fabrication bottlenecks and providing a promising platform for large-scale, and reproducible 2D electronics.

A lithography-compatible approach for site-selective contact engineering is developed by using electron-beam lithography to pattern ultrathin Nafion interlayers at the metal contacts of p-type MoTe2 field-effect transistors. The patterned Nafion films are prepared by electron-beam irradiation followed by development, forming conformal nanometer-thick layers localized exclusively at the source and drain regions. Due to its high work function, Nafion facilitates localized charge transfer that p-dopes the MoTe2 interface, thereby narrowing the Schottky barrier width for hole injection. Two-terminal and four-terminal electrical measurements allow a clear distinction between intrinsic channel properties and contact-related effects. Nafion-contacted devices show a 2-fold increase in on-state current, more linear output behavior, and field-effect mobility up to 10 cm2/V·s, compared to control devices with bare-Pt contacts. The convergence of two- and four-terminal mobilities observed in Nafion-modified transistors indicates the successful mitigation of contact resistance and Fermi-level pinning. An electron-beam dose of 10 μC cm-2 produces optimal results by achieving good pattern definition while maintaining effective interfacial doping. This site-selective patterning method offers a practical route for tailored contact engineering in 2D materials and represents a promising path toward improved p-type MoTe2 transistors for advanced electronic applications.

In today's rapidly advancing technological landscape, the use of semiconductors and the associated research on the development of advanced electronic and optoelectronic devices have gained considerable importance. Among these, organic-based semiconductors have emerged as a focal point in recent years due to their promising characteristics. Organic polymers, in particular, are preferred in the field of semiconductor technology owing to several advantages such as low-temperature processing, cost-effective fabrication methods, and the potential for high-efficiency electronic device performance. In this study, metal-polymer-semiconductor (MPS) type Schottky Barrier Diodes (SBDs) were fabricated using the next-generation organic polymer PTB7 and the additive material PCBM in two different weight ratios: 1:1 and 2:1. The electrical properties of the fabricated diodes were systematically investigated by analyzing the ideality factor (n), barrier height (ΦB), and series resistance (Rs) under different environmental and operational conditions. These analyses were carried out under dark conditions, under illumination with an irradiance of 1000 W/m², and across a temperature range of 200 K to 325 K in 25 K intervals. The results aim to contribute to a deeper understanding of the performance and potential applications of PTB7:PCBM-based Schottky diodes in future organic electronics

Adjusting the Schottky barrier height is an important approach to enhancing the gas-sensing performance of TiO2 Schottky sensors. In this study, micro TiO2 nanotube Schottky sensors were fabricated via magnetron sputtering and anodic oxidation, with their Schottky barrier height adjusted by varying the annealing temperature. The morphology, phase composition, oxygen vacancy concentration, band structure, and Schottky junction of the samples were investigated using SEM, GIXRD, EPR, Hall effect measurements, XPS, I-V curves, and AC impedance. The sensor annealed at 500 °C demonstrated the highest gas-sensing response, outperforming sensors treated at other temperatures by over 100 times. Its response value to 1 ppm H2 was 242. The annealing temperature significantly affects the TiO2 phase and oxygen vacancy concentration, resulting in the highest Schottky barrier height in the 500 °C-annealed sensor, which contributes to its superior sensing performance. AC impedance measurements revealed no significant Fermi-level pinning in TiO2. Based on the gas-sensing mechanism analysis, the response of the TiO2 sensor can be divided into three regimes: Schottky junction control, TiO2 resistance control, and co-control.

Self-powered photodetectors have attracted much attention due to their high detectivity and ultra-low power consumption for next-generation optoelectronic applications. Herein, we proposed what we believe to be a novel strategy to construct asymmetric Schottky contact between two-dimensional (2D) MXene and bulk Si by controlling the thickness of MXene films. Due to the different Schottky height-induced built-in fields, a net photocurrent was obtained under illumination with zero bias voltage (Vbias). The maximum photo responsivity obtained was 8.6 mA/W, and a high detectivity of 1.2 × 1011 Jones was also demonstrated due to the ultra-low dark current at zero Vbias. Besides, the Vbias-dependent optoelectrical performance was comprehensively studied, demonstrating its great potential in high-performance photodetectors. This work provides a new strategy for integrating 2D electrodes with 3D photoactive layers to design self-powered optoelectronic devices.

Cobalt phosphide (CoP)-based electrocatalysts have emerged as promising alternatives to noble metals for alkaline hydrogen evolution reactions (HER), despite their inherent structural instability. In this study, we construct a Schottky junction of Pd@CoP-Co2P on nickel foam (NF) via atomic layer deposition (ALD), achieving an ultralow Pd loading of 0.06 wt %. The optimized electrocatalyst exhibits a significantly reduced HER overpotential of 55 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and exceptional long-term stability over 300 h, much superior than the unmodified CoP-Co2P/NF (66 mV, 12 h). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and density functional theory (DFT) investigations reveal that the enhanced performance is attributed to the physical barrier effect of Pd and the electronic structure modulation of CoP-Co2P, facilitated by the formation of a metal-semiconductor Schottky junction. This modulation effectively upshifts the d-band center, optimizing the Gibbs free energy value while concurrently mitigating P leaching and Co(OH)2 formation. Furthermore, the electrocatalyst showcases remarkable oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity, achieving 177 mV at 10 mA cm-2 with 300 h of stability, underscoring its bifunctional prowess. This work highlights the transformative potential of ALD in engineering durable transition metal phosphide electrocatalysts through strategic interface design.