Advances in solar energy harvesting integrated by van der Waals graphene heterojunctions

Abstract

Graphene has garnered increasing attention for solar energy harvesting owing to its unique features.

Art etching of graphene

“…Graphene is a material that shows promise for application in advanced batteries due to its high surface area and conductivity. 87 This material may be used to create fast-charging and high-energy-density battery technologies. Additionally, using integrated graphene structures might significantly improve the conductivity and efficiency of fuel cell components.…”

Layer-by-layer thinning of two-dimensional materials

“…22,23,31–35 This has sparked a race to explore high-quality 2D materials and integrate them into semiconducting devices at economical prices. 36–39 However, achieving optimal results in applications requires precise control over the layer numbers and shapes of these 2D materials, making it imperative to employ techniques for thinning them down. For instance, conventional graphene is typically grown on metal substrates using the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method.…”

Transfer of 2D Films: From Imperfection to Perfection

“…Repeatedly, basic discoveries in materials science and surface/interface engineering have ushered in breakthroughs that enhance the quality and performance of semiconductor devices. Most recently this has occurred with two-dimensional (2D) material films that have a van der Waals bonding character out of plane while strong covalent bonding in plane. − Ever since A. Geim and K. Novoselov unveiled graphene, − a revolution in the search for and fabrication of 2D films at scale has unfolded, sparking strong interest within the fundamental science as well as applied research community. − However, the fabrication and integration of 2D films into semiconductor devices at scale still face numerous challenges. − One of the primary reasons for this difficulty is the synthesis of high-quality, thin 2D films directly on target substrates. For instance, the growth of most 2D films typically requires high temperatures (>700 °C) using techniques like chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or metal–organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). − At such high temperatures, substrates can adversely affect the material growth process.…”