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Significantly enhanced optoelectronic performance of tungsten diselenide phototransistor via surface functionalization

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Abstract

Two-dimensional (2D) layered transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have attracted enormous research interests and efforts towards the development of versatile electronic and optical devices, owing to their extraordinary and unique fundamental properties and remarkable prospects in nanoelectronic applications. Among the TMDs, tungsten diselenide (WSe2) exhibits tunable ambipolar transport characteristics and superior optical properties such as high quantum efficiency. Herein, we demonstrate significant enhancement in the device performance of WSe2 phototransistor by in situ surface functionalization with cesium carbonate (Cs2CO3). WSe2 was found to be strongly doped with electrons after Cs2CO3 modification. The electron mobility of WSe2 increased by almost one order of magnitude after surface functionalization with 1.6-nm-thick Cs2CO3 decoration. Furthermore, the photocurrent of the WSe2-based phototransistor increased by nearly three orders of magnitude with the deposition of 1.6-nm-thick Cs2CO3. Characterizations by in situ photoelectron spectroscopy techniques confirmed the significant surface charge transfer occurring at the Cs2CO3/WSe2 interface. Our findings coupled with the tunable nature of the surface transfer doping method establish WSe2 as a promising candidate for future 2D materialsbased optoelectronic devices.

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Acknowledgements

W. C. acknowledges the financial support from Singapore MOE Grant R143-000-652-112, National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 21573156) and the technical support from Centre for Advanced 2D Materials and Graphene Research Centre for the device fabrication. G. E. acknowledges Singapore National Research Foundation, Prime Minister’s Office, Singapore, for funding the research under its Medium-sized Centre program as well as NRF Research Fellowship (No. NRF-NRFF2011-02). G. E. also acknowledges financial support from Singapore MOE (No. MOE2015-T2-2-123).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117542, Singapore

    Bo Lei, Zehua Hu, Junyong Wang, Goki Eda & Wei Chen

  2. Centre for Advanced 2D Materials and Graphene Research Centre, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117546, Singapore

    Bo Lei, Zehua Hu, Du Xiang, Junyong Wang, Goki Eda, Cheng Han & Wei Chen

  3. Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117543, Singapore

    Du Xiang, Goki Eda, Cheng Han & Wei Chen

  4. SZU-NUS Collaborative Innovation Center for Optoelectronic Science and Technology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China

    Cheng Han & Wei Chen

  5. National University of Singapore (Suzhou) Research Institute, 377 Lin Quan Street, Suzhou Industrial Park, Suzhou, 215123, China

    Wei Chen

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  1. Bo Lei
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Correspondence to Cheng Han or Wei Chen.

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Lei, B., Hu, Z., Xiang, D. et al. Significantly enhanced optoelectronic performance of tungsten diselenide phototransistor via surface functionalization. Nano Res. 10, 1282–1291 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-016-1386-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-016-1386-1

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