Cross-Substitution Promoted Ultrawide Bandgap up to 4.5 eV in a 2D Semiconductor: Gallium Thiophosphate

Exploring 2D ultrawide bandgap semiconductors (UWBSs) will be conductive to the development of next-generation nanodevices, such as deep-ultraviolet photodetectors, single-photon emitters, and high-power flexible electronic devices. However, a gap still remains between the theoretical prediction of novel 2D UWBSs and the experimental realization of the corresponding materials. The cross-substitution process is an effective way to construct novel semiconductors with the favorable parent characteristics (e.g., structure) and the better physicochemical properties (e.g., bandgap). Herein, a simple case is offered for rational design and syntheses of 2D UWBS GaPS4 by employing state-of-the-art GeS2 as a similar structural model. Benefiting from the cosubstitution of Ge with lighter Ga and P, the GaPS4 crystals exhibit sharply enlarged optical bandgaps (few-layer: 3.94 eV and monolayer: 4.50 eV) and superior detection performances with high responsivity (4.89 A W-1), high detectivity (1.98 x 10(12) Jones), and high quantum efficiency (2.39 x 10(3)%) in the solar-blind ultraviolet region. Moreover, the GaPS4-based photodetector exhibits polarization-sensitive photoresponse with a linear dichroic ratio of 1.85 at 254 nm, benefitting from its in-plane structural anisotropy. These results provide a pathway for the discovery and fabrication of 2D UWBS anisotropic materials, which become promising candidates for future solar-blind ultraviolet and polarization-sensitive sensors.

Automated summary

By substituting Ge with lighter Ga and P, GaPS4 crystals exhibit significantly enlarged optical bandgaps with high responsivity, detectivity, and quantum efficiency in the solar-blind ultraviolet region. The GaPS4-based photodetector shows polarization-sensitive photoresponse with a linear dichroic ratio of 1.85, benefiting from its in-plane structural anisotropy. These results pave the way for the discovery and fabrication of 2D UWBS anisotropic materials, promising candidates for future solar-blind ultraviolet and polarization-sensitive sensors.