Characterization and applications of two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenide alloys – Aleksandr Averchenko
Abstract:
Engineering the electronic structure of atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) materials is of great importance to their potential applications. Compared to many other approaches such as strain and chemical functionalization, alloying can continuously tune the bandgaps in a wide energy range. Atomically thin 2D alloys have been prepared and studied, motivated by their potential in electronic and optoelectronic applications. In this review, the preparation of 2D alloys (mainly on transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) monolayer alloys), including mechanical exfoliation, physical vapour deposition (PVD), chemical vapour deposition (CVD) and chalcogen exchange, are described. Atomic resolution imaging, Raman and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopic characterization of 2D alloys are reviewed, in which bandgap tuning is discussed in detail based on the PL experiments and theoretical calculations. Finally, applications of 2D alloys in field-effect transistors (FETs) and photocurrent generation are reviewed.