"Electronic Devices within Single Atomic Layer – Development of 2D Lateral Junctions"

ABSTRACT

With the demanding requirement of nanotechnology in the semiconducting industry, challenges will become unprecedented as fabrication approaches the scaling limit in the next few years. The rise of 2D materials seems to be a probable solution for developing next-generation semiconducting devices. As 2D lateral junctions have brought about a revolutionary breakthrough in the past few years, nanoscale sized devices are no longer limited to the vertical direction. Doping and structural design strategies that are totally different from conventional Si based devices can bring about more ideal and ultra-efficient electronic and optoelectronic devices. This perspective summarizes and compares different methods of 2D lateral junction designs (including electrostatic tunable p-n homojunction and direct growth of in-plane p-n heterojunction) and various material combinations (including metallic-insulating, semiconducting p-n, and Ohmic junctions). In addition, examples of design strategies and what can be achieved by adopting these 2D lateral junctions have been provided to show promising potential for future development. It can be expected that over the next few years, 2D materials will dominate the semiconducting industry and hold promise for keeping Moore's law alive.  

BIO

Dr. Jr-Hau He is an Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering program at King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST). His work encompasses a broad, multidisciplinary field, borrowing from electrical, physics, chemical and materials science and engineering to understand the effects of nanomaterials on the performance of advanced devices. He develops transparent and flexible electronics using novel devices based on 2D materials, including solar cells and photodetectors, LEDs, and memory devices. He is also interested in harsh electronics. His particular interest in solar energy includes efforts to understand light scattering and trapping in nanostructured materials and designs for next-generation solar cells. He is also interested in transport of charge carriers across these solar cells as well as the improvement in light coupling with the combined effect to increase the efficiency of separating photo-induced charges. He emphasizes the transfer of the nanotechnology he developed to the semiconductor and PV industry.