Wafer-Scale (100)-Oriented Te Single-Crystalline Thin Films with Exceptional Electronic and Photodetection
Tao Hu1,2, Qiaochu Chen1,2, Dongyang Zhao2,3
1Key Laboratory of Polar Materials and Devices (MOE) and Department of Electronics, East China Normal University, Shanghai, P. R. China.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|January 5, 2026
Summary
This study presents a scalable method for growing (100)-oriented tellurium (Te) single-crystalline films using van der Waals epitaxy. These films exhibit excellent electronic and optoelectronic properties, paving the way for advanced polarized devices.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Tellurium (Te) possesses unique chiral structure, enabling applications in anisotropic electronics and optoelectronics.
- Achieving specifically oriented growth of Te films is challenging due to the absence of lattice-matched substrates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a scalable growth method for (100)-oriented tellurium single-crystalline films.
- To investigate the anisotropic electronic and optoelectronic properties of these films.
Main Methods:
- Van der Waals epitaxy (vdWE) was employed for the growth of (100)-oriented Te films.
- Characterization included Hall measurements for mobility and photoresponse measurements for device performance.
Main Results:
- Wafer-scale, high-crystal quality (100)-oriented Te films with low rocking curve width (0.25°) and high hole Hall mobility (1267.2 cm²/Vs) were achieved.
- Anisotropic transport and exceptional current switching were observed in thinner films (<21.3 nm).
- Broadband photoresponse (420–2000 nm) with high responsivity, detectivity, and EQE was demonstrated in a 58.2 nm film FET, alongside a dual-symmetric polarization effect in thinner FET detectors.
Conclusions:
- The study establishes a scalable vdWE route for (100)-oriented Te films.
- These films demonstrate significant potential for integrated, high-speed, and polarized electronic and optoelectronic devices.
