Strained silicon technology for electronics is proven
as a successful
method for low-power devices. Extending this concept to two-dimensional
(2D) semiconductors of transition-metal dichalcogenides such as MoS2 monolayer-based devices brings added advantages of mechanical
flexibility, layer-dependent tunability, etc., to the devices. Moreover,
the possibility of bringing synergistic effects via 2D heterostructure
formation is an added benefit of such devices, while the stability
of such devices is in question. Here, we demonstrate the possibilities
of the development of fluorographene–MoS2 heterostructure-based
strain-tunable photodetectors of high chemical stability and photodetectivity.
This heterostructure photodetector made on a flexible poly(ethylene
terephthalate) substrate exhibits a consistent photocurrent enhancement
toward the applied strain with a broad range of spectral response
(350–850 nm), having a high gauge factor of ∼1400. Studies
using density functional theory-based calculations indicate the possibilities
of band-gap modification from 400 to 90 meV with the applied strain
ranging from 0 to 4%, along with strain-dependent charge transfer
among the layers. Moreover, ab initio molecular dynamics
calculations at 400 K under a 4% strain indicate the structural stability
of the heterostructure, ensuring the robustness of the present device
architecture.