Tunable Schottky barrier in a graphene/AlP van der Waals heterostructure

Abstract

The controllable modulation of the electronic properties of two-dimensional van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures is crucial for their applications in the future nanoelectronic and optoelectronic devices. In this paper, the electronic properties of a graphene/AlP heterostructure are theoretically studied by first-principles calculation. The results show that due to the weak vdW interaction between graphene and the AlP monolayer, both the Dirac semi-metallic properties of graphene and the semiconductivity properties of monolayer AlP are well retained. The graphene/AlP heterostructure forms a 0.41 eV p-type Schottky contact, and the barrier height and contact type can be successively controlled by the applied external electric field and vertical stress. When the applied electric field exceeds −0.5 V Å−1, the heterostructure interface changes from a p-type Schottky contact to an n-type Schottky contact. When the applied electric field exceeds 0.4 V Å−1 or the interlayer spacing is less than 3.1 Å, the interface contact type changes to Ohmic contact. These results indicate that the graphene/AlP heterostucture behaves as tunable Schottky barrier for potential applications in nano-devices.

Insights about AlP (001) Surface Reconstructions: A Density Functional Theory Study

“…This compound has a wide indirect band gap of 2.45 eV and a unit cell parameter of 5.47 Å . AlP is an important component in the development of optoelectronic and transfer-electron devices. , Also, in their bulk form, it has been employed in the manufacturing of photodetectors and light-emitting diodes. , Moreover, theoretical studies have demonstrated that AlP impurified with vanadium acquires ferromagnetic characteristics with half-metal properties, which become suitable for spintronic applications . AlP presents a structural transition from zinc-blende to NiAs-type structure under high pressure at a transition pressure of 9.5 GPa .…”

“…13 AlP is an important component in the development of optoelectronic and transfer-electron devices. 14,15 Also, in their bulk form, it has been employed in the manufacturing of photodetectors and light-emitting diodes. 16,17 Moreover, theoretical studies have demonstrated that AlP impurified with vanadium acquires ferromagnetic characteristics with half-metal properties, which become suitable for spintronic applications.…”

Momentum matching induced giant magnetoresistance in two-dimensional magnetic tunnel junctions

“…Together with the rise of two-dimensional (2D) materials starting from the discovery of graphene, [14][15][16][17] 2D magnetic materials with intrinsic magnetism are successively proposed theoretically or synthesized experimentally, such as Gr 2 Ge 2 Fe 6 , CrI 3 , VSe 2 , CrGeTe 3 , Fe 3 GeTe 2 , NiPS, CoH 2 , CrBr 3 , etc. [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27] More interestingly, some 2D materials, such as graphene 28 and 2D SiC, 29 are intrinsically nonmagnetic but become magnetic when they are cut into one-dimensional nanoribbons with zigzag edges.…”

The effect of light-irradiated area on the spin dependent photocurrent in zigzag graphene nanoribbon junctions

“…The generation of photocurrents in systems lacking spatial inversion symmetry, known as the photogalvanic effect (PGE), was first proposed by Ivchenko and Pikus 19 and Belinicher, 20 and observed in conventional semiconductors in experiment by Asnin 21 and others, and has been explored extensively by researchers since then. [22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29] In recent years, with the rise of two-dimensional (2D) materials and their use in nanoscale electronics, [30][31][32][33] the interest of PGE in photocurrent generation has also started to arise in 2D systems. Actually, pure spin currents induced by PGEs have been predicted in certain twodimensional systems which are spin-polarized and lack spatial inversion symmetry.…”