Two dimensional material/semiconductor heterostructures offer alternative platforms for optoelectronic devices other than conventional Schottky and p-n junction devices. Herein, we use MoS 2 /GaAs heterojunction as a self-driven photodetector with wide response band width from ultraviolet to visible light, which exhibits high sensitivity to the incident light of 635 nm with responsivity as 446 mA/W and detectivity as 5.9×10 13 Jones (Jones = cm Hz 1/2 W -1 ), respectively. Employing interface design by inserting h-BN and photo-induced doping by coveringSi quantum dots on the device, the responsivity is increased to 419 mA/W for incident light of 635 nm. Distinctly, attributing to the low dark current of the MoS 2 /h-BN/GaAs sandwich structure based on the self-driven operation condition, the detectivity shows extremely high value of 1.9 × 10 14 Jones for incident light of 635 nm, which is higher than all the reported values of the MoS 2 based photodetectors.

Lin, 18.5% Efficient graphene/GaAs van der Waals heterostructure solar cell, Nano Energy, http://dx.Abstract: High efficient solar cell is highly demanded for sustainable development of human society, leading to the cutting-edge research on various types of solar cells. The physical picture of graphene/semiconductor van der Waals Schottky diode is unique as Fermi level of graphene can be tuned by gate structure relatively independent of semiconductor substrate. However, the reported gated graphene/semiconductor heterostructure has power conversion efficiency (PCE) normally less than 10%. Herein, utilizing a designed graphene-dielectric-graphene gating structure for graphene/GaAs heterojunction, we have achieved solar cell with PCE of 18.5% and open circuit voltage of 0.96 V. Drift-diffusion simulation results agree well with the experimental data and predict this device structure can work with a PCE above 23.8%. This research opens a door of high efficient solar cell utilizing the graphene/semiconductor heterostructure.

MoS2 is a layered two-dimensional semiconductor with a direct band gap of 1.8 eV. The MoS2/bulk semiconductor system offers a new platform for solar cell device design. Different from the conventional bulk p-n junctions, in the MoS2/bulk semiconductor heterostructure, static charge transfer shifts the Fermi level of MoS2 toward that of bulk semiconductor, lowering the barrier height of the formed junction. Herein, we introduce hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) into MoS2/GaAs heterostructure to suppress the static charge transfer, and the obtained MoS2/h-BN/GaAs solar cell exhibits an improved power conversion efficiency of 5.42%. More importantly, the sandwiched h-BN makes the Fermi level tuning of MoS2 more effective. By employing chemical doping and electrical gating into the solar cell device, PCE of 9.03% is achieved, which is the highest among all the reported monolayer transition metal dichalcogenide based solar cells.

Copper interconnects in modern integrated circuits require a barrier layer to prevent Cu diffusion into surrounding dielectrics. However, conventional barrier materials like TaN are highly resistive compared to Cu and will occupy a large fraction of the crosssection of ultra-scaled Cu interconnects due to their thickness scaling limits at 2-3 nm, which will significantly increase the Cu line resistance. It is well understood that ultrathin, effective diffusion barriers are required to continue the interconnect scaling. In this study, a new class of two-dimensional (2D) materials, hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) and molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ), is explored as alternative Cu diffusion barriers. Based on time-dependent dielectric breakdown measurements and scanning transmission electron microscopy imaging coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy characterizations, these 2D materials are shown to be promising barrier solutions for Cu interconnect technology. The predicted lifetime of devices with directly deposited 2D barriers can achieve three orders of magnitude improvement compared to control devices without barriers.

In graphene/semiconductor heterojunction, the statistic charge transfer between graphene and semiconductor leads to decreased junction barrier height and limits the Fermi level tuning effect in graphene, which greatly affects the final performance of the device. In this work, we have designed a sandwich diode for solar cells and photodetectors through inserting 2D hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) into graphene/GaAs heterostructure to suppress the static charge transfer. The barrier height of graphene/GaAs heterojunction can be increased from 0.88 eV to 1.02 eV by inserting h-BN. Based on the enhanced Fermi level tuning effect with interface h-BN, through adopting photo-induced doping into the device, power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 10.18% has been achieved for graphene/h-BN/GaAs compared with 8.63% of graphene/GaAs structure. The performance of graphene/h-BN/GaAs based photodetector is also improved with on/off ratio increased by one magnitude compared with graphene/GaAs structure.

As the challenges in continued scaling of the integrated circuit technology escalate every generation, there is an urgent need to find viable solutions for both the front-end-of-line (transistors) and the back-end-of-line (interconnects). For the interconnect technology, it is crucial to replace the conventional barrier and liner with much thinner alternatives so that the current driving capability of the interconnects can be maintained or even improved. Due to the inherent atomically thin body thicknesses, 2D materials have recently been proposed and explored as Cu diffusion barrier alternatives. In this Perspective article, a variety of 2D materials that have been studied, ranging from graphene, h-BN, MoS2, WSe2 to TaS2, will be reviewed. Their potentials will be evaluated based on several criteria, including fundamental material properties as well as the feasibility for technology integration. Using TaS2 as an example, we demonstrate a large set of promising properties and point out that there remain challenges in the integration aspects with a few possible solutions waiting for validation. Applications of 2D materials for other functions in Cu interconnects and for different metal types will also be introduced, including electromigration, cobalt interconnects, and radio-frequency transmission lines.

The band gap of graphene is nearly zero and thus novel twodimensional (2D) semiconductor and band gap engineering of graphene is highly desired for advanced optoelectronic applications. Herein, we have experimentally produced quasi-two-dimensional (quasi-2D) SiC by reaction between graphene and silicon source, which was designed and supported by Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics simulations. The length of the as-synthesized quasi-2D SiC is mainly in the range of 0.3 µm-5 µm while the thickness is commonly below 10 nm. Quasi-2D SiC 2 is also found as a by-product, which is stable over 3 months in air atmosphere. The exciton binding energy of quasi-2D multilayers SiC can reach 0.23 eV while the band gap is around 3.72 eV. Additionally, in-situ transmission electron microscopy has firmly proven that quasi-2D SiC can be synthesized through the reaction between graphene and silicon quantum dots. The first production of quasi-2D SiC and SiC 2 makes the band gap engineering in the graphene lattice plane possible.

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