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Related Concept Videos

P-N junction01:11

P-N junction

1.6K
A p-n junction is formed when p-type and n-type semiconductor materials are joined together. At the interface of the p-n junction, holes from the p-side and electrons from the n-side begin to diffuse into the opposite sides due to the concentration gradient. This diffusion of carriers leads to a region around the junction where there are no free charge carriers, known as the depletion region. The charge density within the depletion region for the n-side and p-side can be described by the...
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Semiconductors01:22

Semiconductors

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There is variation in the electrical conductivity of materials - metals, semiconductors, and insulators that are showcased with the help of the energy band diagrams.
Metals such as copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), or lead (Pb) have low resistivity and feature conduction bands that are either not fully occupied or overlap with the valence band, making a bandgap non-existent. This allows electrons in the highest energy levels of the valence band to easily transition to the conduction band upon gaining...
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Metal-Semiconductor Junctions01:24

Metal-Semiconductor Junctions

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The contact of metal and semiconductor can lead to the formation of a junction with either Schottky or Ohmic behavior.
Schottky Barriers
Schottky barriers arise when a metal with a work function (Φm) contacts a semiconductor with a different work function (Φs). Initially, electrons transfer until the Fermi levels of the metal and semiconductor align at equilibrium. For instance, if Φm > Φs, the semiconductor Fermi level is higher than the metal's before contact. The...
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Biasing of P-N Junction01:16

Biasing of P-N Junction

2.7K
The operation of a p-n junction diode involves various biasing conditions, including forward bias, reverse bias, and equilibrium.
In equilibrium, no external voltage is applied across the p-n junction. The depletion region is formed at the junction interface due to the diffusion of carriers, which leaves behind charged dopants, acceptors on the p-side, and donors on the n-side. These immobile charges create an electric field that prevents further diffusion of carriers. The related energy band...
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Biasing of Metal-Semiconductor Junctions01:27

Biasing of Metal-Semiconductor Junctions

903
Biasing metal-semiconductor junctions involves applying a voltage across the junction. Specifically, the metal is connected to a voltage source, while the semiconductor is grounded. This technique is essential for controlling the direction and magnitude of current flow in electronic devices, including diodes, transistors, and photovoltaic cells.
In Schottky junctions, where the semiconductor is n-type, applying a positive voltage to the metal relative to the semiconductor reduces its Fermi...
903
Types of Semiconductors01:20

Types of Semiconductors

1.8K
Intrinsic semiconductors are highly pure materials with no impurities. At absolute zero, these semiconductors behave as perfect insulators because all the valence electrons are bound, and the conduction band is empty, disallowing electrical conduction. The Fermi level is a concept used to describe the probability of occupancy of energy levels by electrons at thermal equilibrium. In intrinsic semiconductors, the Fermi level is positioned at the midpoint of the energy gap at absolute zero. When...
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Atomically thin p-n junctions with van der Waals heterointerfaces.

Chul-Ho Lee1, Gwan-Hyoung Lee2, Arend M van der Zande3

  • 11] Department of Physics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA [2] Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA [3] KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, Seoul 136-701, Korea.

Nature Nanotechnology
|August 11, 2014
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Atomically thin van der Waals p-n heterojunctions exhibit tunable diode-like behavior and photovoltaic effects. These ultimate-thickness junctions, using transition-metal dichalcogenides, enable novel nanoscale electronic and optoelectronic devices.

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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Nanotechnology

Background:

  • Semiconductor p-n junctions are fundamental to electronics and optoelectronics.
  • Conventional junctions have depletion regions affecting charge transport.
  • Atomically thin van der Waals materials offer a new platform for ultimate-thickness junctions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize the electronic and optoelectronic properties of atomically thin p-n heterojunctions.
  • To investigate charge transport mechanisms in van der Waals p-n junctions.
  • To explore the potential of these structures for nanoscale devices.

Main Methods:

  • Fabrication of p-n heterojunctions using van der Waals assembly of transition-metal dichalcogenides.
  • Characterization of electronic and optoelectronic properties.
  • Investigation of carrier transport mechanisms, including tunnelling-assisted recombination.

Main Results:

  • Observation of gate-tunable diode-like current rectification.
  • Demonstration of a photovoltaic response across the p-n interface.
  • Identification of tunnelling-assisted interlayer recombination as key to tunability.
  • Enhanced photoexcited carrier collection when sandwiched between graphene layers.

Conclusions:

  • Atomically scaled van der Waals p-n heterostructures exhibit unique transport properties.
  • These structures are tunable and suitable for nanoscale electronic and optoelectronic applications.
  • They represent the ultimate functional unit for future miniaturized devices.