Advances in Te/Se-Based 2D p-Type Semiconductors for Electronics and Optoelectronics

Tellurium (Te) and selenium (Se), as Group VI semiconductors characterized by their unique one-dimensional (1D) helical chains forming 2D van der Waals (vdW) layers, have emerged as an important material choice for next-generation electronics and optoelectronics due to their high hole mobility, tunable bandgap and excellent environmental stability. This article provides a comprehensive review of the latest research progress in Te, Se, Se_xTe_{1- x} alloys and their oxides. First, we overview the significant physical structure anisotropy and diverse electronic properties-including bandgap coverage from mid-wave infrared (MWIR) to visible light-that arise from their distinctive crystal structures. Second, various synthesis strategies are compared in detail, including chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD), molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), and solution-phase methods, with a particular focus on recent breakthroughs in wafer-scale uniform growth and bandgap engineering. At the application level, the review highlights high-performance Te/Se-based p-type field-effect transistors (FETs), large-scale complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) logic circuits (e.g., inverters, NAND gates, and full adders), and high-sensitivity infrared to visible optoelectronics. Finally, current challenges in high-performance single-crystal preparation and industrial integration are summarized, alongside an outlook on the application prospects of these novel low-dimensional materials in flexible electronics and neuromorphic computing.