Scalable Van der Waals Two-Dimensional PtTe2 Layers Integrated onto Silicon for Efficient Near-to-Mid Infrared Photodetection

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in leveraging two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) crystals for infrared (IR) photodetection, exploiting their unusual optoelectrical properties. Some 2D vdW materials with small band gap energies such as graphene and black phosphorus have been explored as stand-alone IR responsive layers in photodetectors. However, the devices incorporating these IR-sensitive 2D layers often exhibited poor performances owing to their preparation issues such as limited scalability and air instability. Herein, we explored wafer-scale 2D platinum ditelluride (PtTe2) layers for near-to-mid IR photodetection by directly growing them onto silicon (Si) wafers. 2D PtTe2/Si heterojunctions exhibited wavelength- and intensity-dependent high photocurrents in a spectral range of similar to 1-7 mu m, significantly outperforming stand-alone 2D PtTe2 layers. The observed superiority is attributed to their excellent Schottky junction characteristics accompanying suppressed carrier recombination as well as optical absorbance competition between 2D PtTe2 layers and Si. The direct and scalable growth of 2D PtTe2 layers was further extended to demonstrate mechanically flexible IR photodetectors.

Automated summary

There is a growing interest in leveraging 2D van der Waals crystals for IR photodetection due to their unique optoelectrical properties. This study explored the use of wafer-scale 2D platinum ditelluride layers grown directly onto silicon wafers for near-to-mid IR photodetection, demonstrating high photocurrents in the spectral range of 1-7 µm and outperforming stand-alone 2D PtTe2 layers. The observed superiority is attributed to excellent Schottky junction characteristics and optical absorbance competition between 2D PtTe2 layers and Si, with the potential for mechanically flexible IR photodetectors.