Carrier Transport Properties Research Articles

Halide Perovskite Photodiode Integrated CMOS Imager.

Thin film photodiodes (TFPD) can supplement complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor vision by their exotic optoelectronic properties assisted by their monolithic processability. Halide perovskites are known to show outstanding optoelectronic properties, such as large absorption coefficient, long carrier diffusion lengths, and high carrier mobility, leading to high external quantum efficiency (EQE) and fast charge transport in photodiodes (PDs), especially compared with other thin-film photodiode candidates. In this paper, high-resolution two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) imaging capabilities are demonstrated using perovskite photodetection material with a silicon (Si) read-out integrated circuit (ROIC). The integration of this perovskite photodiode (PePD) on the Si ROIC provides fine resolution for 2D imaging. The fast carrier transport properties of the PePD enable depth sensing of objects using the same sensor. 3D imaging is demonstrated using the proposed top-electrode controlled indirect time-of-flight (iToF) operation supported by the fast PD switching through the top common electrode of the TFPD image sensor pixel. It is expected that the PePDs on Si ROIC could mark a significant milestone for the TFPD imaging platform with their outstanding optoelectronic performance in combination with the CMOS image sensor technology, not only for conventional 2D imaging but also by enabling extensions toward 3D sensing, promising applications in automotive, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR).

Synergistic Multimodal Energy Dissipation Enhances Certified Efficiency of Flexible Organic Photovoltaics beyond 19.

All-polymer organic solar cells (OSCs) have shown unparalleled application potential in the field of flexible wearable electronics in recent years due to the excellent mechanical and photovoltaic properties. However, the small molecule acceptors after polymerization in still retain some mechanical and aggregation properties of the small molecule, falling short of the ductility requirements for flexible devices. Here, based on the multimodal energy dissipation theory, the mechanical and photovoltaic properties of flexible devices are co-enhanced by adding the thermoplastic elastomer material (polyurethane, PU) to the PM6:PBQx-TF:PY-IT-based active layer films. The construction of multi-fiber network structure and the decrease of films' residual stresses contribute to the enhancement of carrier transport properties and the decrease of defect state density. Eventually, the PCE (power conversion efficiency) of 19.40% is achieved on the flexible devices with an effective area of 0.102 cm2, and the third-party certified PCE reaches 19.07%, which is the highest PCE for flexible OSCs currently available. To further validate the potential of this strategy for large-area module applications, the 25-cm2-based flexible and super-flexible modules are prepared with the PCEs of 15.48% and 14.61%, respectively, and demonstration applications are implemented.

Steady-State Inverse-Temperature Crystallization Enabling Low Defect Perovskite Single Crystal and Efficient X-Ray Detectors.

Organic-inorganic halide perovskite single crystals (SCs) have shown great potential in radiation detection applications due to their large radiation stopping power and excellent carrier transport properties. The spatial-confined inverse-temperature crystallization (ITC) method has been widely adopted to obtain large-sized SCs. However, they usually face the problems of uneven stress distribution and high defect density due to the limited crystal growth space and varied growth rate with the increase in temperature, making it difficult to fabricate highly sensitive and stable radiation detectors. In this study, the steady-state inverse-temperature crystallization method (SS-ITC) is developed to regulate the growth process of SCs by controlling the growth speed precisely to achieve a constant rate of growth as the temperature increases. Compared with the conventional ITC-grown samples, the lattice spacing of SCs prepared by the SS-ITC method is reduced by 1.2% due to tensile stress relaxation, resulting in a lower defect density of 7.93×109cm-3 and a remarkable uniformity over a large area. As a result, the co-planar X-ray detectors based on these high-quality SCs exhibit a high sensitivity of 1.67×105 µC Gyair -1cm-2, representing the best performing MAPbBr3-based X-ray detectors reported to date.

The Fabrication of BiVO4/WO3/GaN Heterojunction and its Enhanced Water Splitting Performance

Abstract GaN has garnered significant attention for water splitting due to its excellent light absorption, carrier transport properties, and chemical inertness. However, its bandgap of 3.4 eV restricts absorption to the ultraviolet range. To address this limitation, narrow-bandgap semiconductors BiVO4 and WO3 were deposited on the GaN surface using the sol-gel method. Photoelectrochemical water-splitting tests revealed that the saturated photocurrent densities of GaN/BiVO4 and GaN/BiVO4/WO3 under full-spectrum illumination were 1.42 and 1.86 times greater than that of GaN alone, respectively. This improvement is attributed to the smaller bandgaps of BiVO4 and WO3, which significantly extend the spectral absorption range of GaN. Additionally, BiVO4 and WO3 form heterojunctions through energy alignment, and the built-in electric field at the heterojunctions accelerates the separation of photo-generated carriers, further enhancing energy conversion efficiency. The study also found that the BiVO4 and WO3 films exhibit a 2D flake morphology, providing larger surface areas that enhance light absorption and carrier transport, thereby improving water-splitting efficiency. Our research paves a new path for the application of GaN in water splitting.

Microstructure evolution of CdZnTe crystals irradiated by heavy ions

Consideration of irradiation effects is important for in-orbit operation and radiation protection in aerospace applications. The configuration of irradiation defects and their impact on deteriorating the carrier transport properties of CZT crystals need to be clarified. In this study, the microdefect evolution mechanism of CdZnTe (CZT) crystals under 10 MeV Chlorine (Cl) ion irradiation at flux of 1×1010∼1×1012 n·cm-2 are investigated. The stacking faults first appear in the CZT crystal at 4.5×10-4 displacement per atom (dpa), which are categorized into slip-type, gap-type and vacancy-type. In order to hinder the further expansion of stacking fault, S-shaped stacking fault dipole appears. When the dpa reaches 4.5×10-2, the local phase transition occurs in the damage zone to form CuPt-A ordered phase with ZnTe/CdTe periodic arrangement because the fluctuation in local composition and strain caused by cascade collisions. The deterioration of electric field distribution and charge collection caused by irradiation damage layer leads to the decrease of γ-ray detection ability. The energy resolution (ER) of the CZT detector for γ-ray can be maintained at 30.6% when the ion flux accumulates to 1×1012 n·cm-2, revealing high irradiation hardness. Consequently, these findings provide a theoretical basis for the radiation damage recovery of CZT detectors, further demonstrating that CZT crystals are the most competitive new generation of room-temperature nuclear radiation detection materials, and can provide radiation protection strategies for similar compound semiconductor materials.

Enhancing Carrier Behavior via Controlled Molecular Film Formation Engineering Leads to Significant Improvement in Electroluminescence

AbstractThe quality of organic thin films critically influences carrier dynamics in organic semiconductors. In neat/doped films, even tiny voids can be penetrated by water or oxygen molecules to create charge‐trap states called water/oxygen‐induced traps that significantly hinder carrier mobility. While the water/oxygen‐induced traps in non‐doped films and crystalline states have been investigated comprehensively, there is a lack of thorough examination regarding their properties in the doped state. Therefore, there is a high demand for a molecular design strategy that effectively modulates the molecular stacking behavior in doped films and practical devices and enhances the quality of these films. Herein, we proposed a versatile molecular design principle that enables the formation of “nano‐cluster” structures on both the surface and interior of doped films in target molecule 10‐(4‐(4,6‐diphenyl‐1,3,5‐triazin‐2‐yl)phenyl)‐1′‐(4‐fluorophenyl)‐10H‐spiro[acridine‐9,9′‐xanthene] (DspiroO‐F‐TRZ), which is modified with a fluorophenyl group. These “nano‐cluster” structures exhibit more uniform shapes within doped films and effectively reduce defective state densities while enhancing carrier injection and transport properties, ultimately improving device performance. Notably, TADF‐OLED based on DspiroO‐F‐TRZ demonstrates nearly twice as much efficiency as its control counterpart due to contributions from ′nano‐cluster′ structure enhancements toward improved electroluminescence performance.

Enhancing Carrier Behavior via Controlled Molecular Film Formation Engineering Leads to Significant Improvement in Electroluminescence.

The quality of organic thin films critically influences carrier dynamics in organic semiconductors. In neat/doped films, even tiny voids can be penetrated by water or oxygen molecules to create charge-trap states called water/oxygen-induced traps that significantly hinder carrier mobility. While the water/oxygen-induced traps in non-doped films and crystalline states have been investigated comprehensively, there is a lack of thorough examination regarding their properties in the doped state. Therefore, there is a high demand for a molecular design strategy that effectively modulates the molecular stacking behavior in doped films and practical devices and enhances the quality of these films. Herein, we proposed a versatile molecular design principle that enables the formation of "nano-cluster" structures on both the surface and interior of doped films in target molecule 10-(4-(4,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)phenyl)-1'-(4-fluorophenyl)-10H-spiro[acridine-9,9'-xanthene] (DspiroO-F-TRZ), which is modified with a fluorophenyl group. These "nano-cluster" structures exhibit more uniform shapes within doped films and effectively reduce defective state densities while enhancing carrier injection and transport properties, ultimately improving device performance. Notably, TADF-OLED based on DspiroO-F-TRZ demonstrates nearly twice as much efficiency as its control counterpart due to contributions from 'nano-cluster' structure enhancements toward improved electroluminescence performance.

Drain self-blocking ambipolar transistors for complementary circuit applications

The development of complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (CMOSFET) based on two-dimensional (2D) materials offers an important opportunity to reduce static power and increase the integration density of integrated circuits. One promising approach to realize these CMOSFETs is to employ ambipolar 2D materials as channel materials with designed device structure to control the carrier transport properties for CMOSFET characteristics. However, these devices always suffer from complex multi-gate electrode structure, and hence face challenges in complicated inter-connection design and excessive voltage source requirement for circuit implementation. Here, we develop a three-terminal CMOSFET using ambipolar 2D material based on the drain electric field-induced carrier injection self-blocking mechanism. The designed drain electrode can effectively suppress carrier injection from the drain to the channel material, while the gate voltage can only regulate carrier injection in the source region. As a result, we can configure the device as either N-field-effect transistors (FET) or P-FET with a high current on/off ratio of over 105 by adjusting the three voltages (gate, source, and drain). Furthermore, we utilize these devices to demonstrate multifunctional wave modulator, low-static-power logic inverter (<5 pW), and combinational logic computing in the form of a compact complementary circuit. Our work would explore an efficient approach for implementing complementary circuits using 2D materials.

Comparison between carrier transport property and crystal quality of TlBr semiconductors

Thallium bromide (TlBr) semiconductor detectors are being developed as promising candidates for high-detection-efficiency, high-energy-resolution, and room-temperature gamma-ray spectrometers. This study presents methods for evaluating TlBr crystal quality and carrier transport characteristics using neutron Bragg-dip imaging and the time-of-flight method for pulsed-laser-induced carriers, respectively. Neutron Bragg-dip imaging effectively determines the crystal orientation distribution, revealing crystal imperfections and grain boundaries. Time-of-flight measurements provide a spatial distribution of carrier mobility. In this study, two samples obtained from both the upstream and downstream region in the crystal ingot were evaluated. Although both samples show similar crystal quality, the upstream sample showed high carrier mobility across all areas, whereas the downstream sample exhibits low mobility in some areas. These findings suggest that, at least within the range of carrier mobility currently obtained, the effect of crystal integrity on carrier mobility is less significant than that of impurities. In conclusion, combining neutron Bragg-dip imaging with carrier mobility measurements offers a comprehensive approach to evaluating and improving TlBr detectors.

Low-temperature hydrothermal self-assembly synthesis of ZnIn2S4/chitosan-graphene aerogels for enhanced aqueous pollutants removal

A novel visible-light-responsive ZnIn2S4/chitosan graphene aerogel (ZCGA) was prepared using a low-temperature hydrothermal self-assembly method for the adsorption and degradation of tetracycline. Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicated interactions between ZnIn2S4 and chitosan graphene aerogel (CGA). Under the irradiation of a 500 W xenon lamp, ZCGA exhibited excellent adsorption and photocatalytic degradation performance for tetracycline, with a removal rate exceeding 90 % within 180 min. This significant performance improvement is attributed to the high carrier transport properties of CGA, which greatly enhanced the activity of the photocatalytic reaction and also showed high efficiency in removing other types of organic pollutants. Radical trapping experiments further confirmed that the superoxide anion (·O2−) is the main active species in the photocatalytic process. In addition, the monolithic aerogel has good recyclability and mechanical stability. This study not only demonstrates the great potential of ZCGA in the field of photocatalysis but also provides new ideas for designing efficient, recyclable, and visible light-responsive photocatalysts.

Probing carrier transport of sphalerite Cadmium Chalcogenide (CdX, X=S, Se) from first-principles

Cadmium chalcogenide (CdX, X=S, Se) traps photons in the visible and near-infrared regions, and it has been widely used in optoelectronic devices such as solar cells and light-emitting diodes. The carrier concentration and intrinsic mobility are prerequisites for the optimized design of optoelectronic devices, while the underlying physics that determines the carrier mobility of sphalerite CdX remains elusive. Herein, we explore the temperature-dependent carrier transport properties and scattering mechanisms of sphalerite CdX from first-principles. The calculation results indicate that the isotropic electron mobility for CdS and CdSe are 180.2 cm2/Vs and 656.8 cm2/Vs at room temperature, respectively. An in-depth analysis reveals that polar optical phonon (POP) scattering is the main scattering mechanism limiting the mobility of sphalerite CdX, and electrons are mainly affected by long-range longitudinal optical phonon scattering. The lower electron mobility of CdS compared to CdSe is attributed to the larger Fröhlich coupling constant, -larger Pauling ionicity, and stronger electron-phonon interactions. As the temperature rises, the electron mobility of CdX consistently decreases due to the enhancement of POP scattering and lattice vibrations. The electron mobility of CdX at high doping concentrations decreases dramatically, attributing to the enhancement of ionized impurity scattering i.e. collisional scattering of electrons and ionized impurity ions. This work provides a systematic study of the electron transport properties of sphalerite cadmium chalcogenide from first-principles, which provides a theoretical guideline for the functional regulation and improvement of optoelectronic devices.

Conductive Li2S‐NbSe2 Cathode Material Capable of Bidirectional Self‐Activation for High‐Performance All‐Solid‐State Lithium Metal Batteries

AbstractAll‐solid‐state lithium metal batteries (ASSLBs) offer an alternative route to safe and high energy density power sources. Sulfur‐based cathodes with high theoretical specific capacity and low cost are crucial for advancing ASSLBs. However, the electronic insulation and sluggish kinetics of sulfide materials like Li2S severely limit battery performance. Herein, the strategy is proposed that a highly electronic conductive Li2S‐NbSe2 material enhances the electrochemical performance through bidirectional self‐activation. The chemical interaction between Li2S and NbSe2 induces NbSe2‐xSx and Li2Se derivatization, serving as the basis for activation. The carrier transport properties, chemical evolution and self‐activation mechanism of Li2S‐NbSe2 during the oxidation–reduction process are revealed. The chemical activation of NbSe2‐xSx is explored to accelerate the electrochemical processes by modifying the conductivity of sulfur species and the conversion pathways without insulating Li2S and S aggregation. Therefore, ASSLBs using Li2S‐NbSe2 as cathode active material achieve an electrode‐level energy density of 394 Wh kg−1 and a power density of 524 W kg−1 at 1 C (4.35 mA cm−2) and 25 °C. The capacity retention after 100 cycles at 0.5 C is ≈99.3% with almost no degradation. This work provides new options and insights for the rational design and development of chalcogenide cathode active materials for high‐performance ASSLBs.

Enhancing Built‐In Electric Field via Defect‐Mediated Interfacial Chemical Bond Construction in Chalcogenide Heterojunction for Alcohol Photooxidation Coupled with H2 Production

AbstractRationally designing nanostructures based on an adequate understanding of structure‐performance relationships is key for directional charge transfer regulation in heterojunction photocatalysts. A general strategy is developed for synthesizing bifunctional Sv‐chalcogenide/Ti3C2 Schottky junctions (Sv = sulfur vacancies, chalcogenides containing CdS, CdIn2S4, ZnIn2S4, ZnS, CuInS2) featuring a giant built‐in electric field (BIEF) via defect‐mediated heterocomponent anchorage, which consists of sulfur vacancy modulation of chalcogenides and Ti3C2 nanoparticle anchoring at defects via interfacial Metal─Oxygen (M─O) bonds. These heterojunctions have the distinctive interface structure of semicoherent phase boundaries and a directionally aligned BIEF pointing from chalcogenides to Ti3C2. The enhanced BIEF creates an asymmetrical charge distribution, which not only governs the charge migration behavior by enabling charge carrier localization and delocalized electron transport continuity but also regulates the molecular catalytic behavior by optimizing pivotal intermediate adsorption/activation (*Ar‐CH(R2)‐OH in dehydrogenation and H* in H2 evolution) in selective alcohol photooxidation coupled with H2 generation. Encouragingly, Sv‐chalcogenide/Ti3C2 exhibits unprecedented performance (up to 13.34‐fold higher efficiency than unmodulated chalcogenides) and good substrate compatibility for various alcohols. This work demonstrates the synergistic effects of surface electron density control and interfacial interaction modulation in regulating BIEFs, elucidating the substantial impact of reinforced BIEF on carrier transport properties and molecular catalytic behavior.

Linking Electronic and Structural Disorder Parameters to Carrier Transport in a Modern Conjugated Polymer.

Understanding charge transport in conjugated polymers is crucial for the development of next-generation organic electronic applications. It is presumed that structural disorder in conjugated polymers originating from their semicrystallinity, processing, or polymorphism leads to a complex energetic landscape that influences charge carrier transport properties. However, the link between polymer order parameters and energetic landscape is not well established experimentally. In this work, we successfully link statistical surveys of the local polymer electronic structure with paracrystalline structural disorder, a measure of statistical fluctuations away from the ideal polymer packing structure. We use scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy to measure spatial variability in electronic band edges in PM6 films, a high-performance conjugated polymer, and find that films with higher paracrystallinity exhibit greater electronic disorder, as expected. In addition, we show that macroscopic charge carrier mobility in field effect transistors and and trap influence in hole-only diode devices is positively correlated with these microscopic structural and electronic parameters.

Optimizing the thermoelectric performance of Bi-Sb-Te thin films through compositional engineering

The objective of the present investigation was to systematically investigate the structural and thermoelectric (TE) properties of BixSb2-xTe3 thin films with varying content of Bi. We investigated the impact of different atomic percentages of Bi (4, 6, 8 at. %) on the properties of carrier transport and TE performance. In general, the Seebeck coefficient remained consistent across the thin films. For the 8 at. % Bi thin film, the Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity were measured at 230 μV/K and 730 S/cm, respectively, at room temperature. These values were more than 20 times greater than the electrical conductivity observed in the thin films with compositions of 6 and 4 at. % Bi. As a result, the Bi-Sb-Te compound exhibited a TE power factor (PF) of 38x10−4 W/mK2 at 40 °C, surpassing the PFs observed in previous compositions. The analysis of surface microstructure, combined with atomic force microscopy and Kelvin probe microscopy images, revealed that the transport of carriers in films with high Bi content was impeded by the size of particles and scattering sites. On the other hand, an augmentation in Bi content promoted the transfer of charge through crystalline regions, hence improving the mobility of carriers and the total electrical conductivity. The aforementioned results emphasize the significant influence of Bi content on the electrical properties of semiconductors and demonstrate the effectiveness of compositional engineering based on Bi content in the development of TE materials with superior performance. The present study investigates the influence of Bi content on the electrical properties of Bi-Sb-Te thin films, demonstrating that compositional adjustments based on Bi content can impact the performance of TE materials. These findings contribute to the understanding of material optimization in the field of TE.

Simultaneous Characterization of In-Plane and Cross-Plane Resistivities in Highly Anisotropic 2D Layered Heterostructures.

Understanding and characterizing the intrinsic properties of charge carrier transport across the interfaces in van der Waals heterostructures is critical to their applications in modern electronics, thermoelectrics, and optoelectronics. However, there are very few published cross-plane resistivity measurements of thin samples because these inherently 2-probe measurements must be corrected for contact and lead resistances. Here, we present a method to extract contact resistances and metal lead resistances by fitting the width dependence of the contact end voltages of top and bottom electrodes of different contact widths to a model based on current crowding. These contributions are then subtracted from the total 2-probe cross-plane resistance to obtain the cross-plane resistance of the material itself without needing multiple devices and/or etching steps. This approach was used to measure cross-plane resistivities of a (PbSe)1(VSe2)1 heterostructure containing alternating layers of PbSe and VSe2 with random in-plane rotational disorder. Several samples measured exhibited a 4 order of magnitude difference between cross-plane and in-plane resistivities over the 6-300 K temperature range. We also reported the observation of charge density wave transition in the cross-plane transport of the (PbSe)1(VSe2)1 heterostructure. The device fabrication process is fully liftoff compatible, and the method developed enables the straightforward measurement of the resistivity anisotropy of most thin film materials with nm thicknesses.

Alloy scattering to optimize carrier and phonon transport properties in PbBi2S4 thermoelectric

Ternary PbBi2S4 compound with crustal S-rich element and low lattice thermal conductivity is considered as a potential thermoelectric candidate. However, its inferior thermoelectric properties are rooted in the low electrical transport performance. Generally, enhancing electrical transport performance (power factor, PF) primarily entails optimizing the interdependent relationship between carrier mobility μ (linked to electrical conductivity σ) and effective mass m* (related to Seebeck coefficient S). In this work, we introduce the strategy of alloy scattering to independently enhance S without weakening μ and simultaneously reduce thermal conductivity, leading to a synergetic optimization of electron and phonon in PbBi2S4 thermoelectric. Heavy Sn alloying in PbBi2S4 presents uniform and orderly distribution on Pb sites as unclosed by the atomic-scale crystal structure observation. These massive Sn atom serves as scattering centers and turns the electron scattering mechanism to be dominated by alloy scattering, thus resulting in a ∼ 33% increment of S in Pb0.6Sn0.4Bi2S4. Meanwhile, Sn alloying aggravates phonon scattering further lowering lattice thermal conductivity and reaching an extremely low value of 0.34 W·m–1·K–1 at 773 K. Finally, a maximum zT of 0.68 at 773 K is obtained in Pb0.6Sn0.4Bi2S4, which is ∼ 45% higher than the pristine matrix. This study proves that the strategy of alloy scattering is effective in improving overall electrical transport properties as well as reducing lattice thermal conductivity, which paves a new way to develop high-performance thermoelectric materials.

Enhanced Carrier Transport Performance of Monolayer Hafnium Disulphide by Strain Engineering.

For semiconducting two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), the carrier transport properties of the material are affected by strain engineering. In this study, we investigate the carrier mobility of monolayer hafnium disulphide (HfS2) under different biaxial strains by first-principles calculations combined with the Kubo-Greenwood mobility approach and the compact band model. The decrease/increase in the effective mass of the conduction band (CB) of monolayer HfS2 caused by biaxial tensile/compressive strain is the major reason for the enhancement/degradation of its electron mobility. The lower hole effective mass of the valence bands (VB) in monolayer HfS2 under biaxial compressive strain improves its hole transport performance compared to that under biaxial tensile strain. In summary, biaxial compressive strain causes a decrease in both the effective mass and phonon scattering rate of monolayer HfS2, resulting in an increase in its carrier mobility. Under the biaxial compressive strain reaches 4%, the electron mobility enhancement ratio of the CB of monolayer HfS2 is ~90%. For the VB of monolayer HfS2, the maximum hole mobility enhancement ratio appears to be ~13% at a biaxial compressive strain of 4%. Our results indicate that the carrier transport performance of monolayer HfS2 can be greatly improved by strain engineering.

Transient characteristics of carrier transport in an isotopically enriched 28Si/SiGe undoped heterostructure

An isotopically enriched 28Si/SiGe undoped heterostructure is a promising platform for Si-based qubits due to the long coherence time by reducing 29Si isotopes with non-zero nuclear spins. Carriers in the buried Si quantum well (QW) of the Si/SiGe heterostructures could tunnel to the oxide/Si interface, increasing charge noise and leading to charge instability. In this work, we investigate the tunneling effects on carrier distribution and transport properties in an isotopically enriched 28Si/SiGe undoped heterostructure and its transient characteristics by controlling the hold time of gate biasing under different drain biases. By holding the gate bias for a longer time, the drain is reduced since more carriers in the buried QW tunnel to the oxide interface. Furthermore, under a larger drain bias, more carriers can move across the Si/SiGe heterojunction to the oxide interface and are trapped, resulting in a stronger current reduction, which is explained by a lucky electron model.

Boosting external quantum efficiency of a WSe2 photodetector across visible and NIR spectra through harnessing plasmonic hot electrons

The layered two-dimensional material tungsten diselenide ( WSe2 ) has triggered tremendous interests in the field of optoelectronic devices due to its exceptional carrier transport property. Nevertheless, the limited absorption of WSe2 in the near infrared (NIR) band poses a challenge for the application of WSe2 photodetectors in night vision, telecommunication, etc. Herein, the enhanced performance of the WSe2 photodetector is demonstrated through the incorporation of titanium nitride nanoparticles (TiN NPs), complemented by an atomically-thick Al2O3 layer that aids in suppressing the dark current. It is demonstrated that TiN NPs can dramatically enhance the absorption of light in the proposed WSe2 photodetector in the NIR regime. This enhancement boosts photocurrent responses through the generation of plasmonic hot electrons, leading to external quantum efficiency (EQE) enhancement factors of 379.66% at 850 nm and 178.47% at 1550 nm. This work presents, for the first time, to our knowledge, that the WSe2 photodetector is capable of detecting broadband light spanning from ultraviolet to the telecommunication range, all achieved without the reliance on additional semiconductor materials. This achievement opens avenues for the advancement of cost-effective NIR photodetectors.