The development of silicon semiconductor technology has produced breakthroughs in electronics—from the microprocessor in the late 1960s to early 1970s, to automation, computers and smartphones—by downscaling the physical size of devices and wires to the nanometre regime. Now, graphene and related two-dimensional (2D) materials offer prospects of unprecedented advances in device performance at the atomic limit, and a synergistic combination of 2D materials with silicon chips promises a heterogeneous platform to deliver massively enhanced potential based on silicon technology. Integration is achieved via three-dimensional monolithic construction of multifunctional high-rise 2D silicon chips, enabling enhanced performance by exploiting the vertical direction and the functional diversification of the silicon platform for applications in opto-electronics and sensing. Here we review the opportunities, progress and challenges of integrating atomically thin materials with silicon-based nanosystems, and also consider the prospects for computational and non-computational applications. Progress in integrating atomically thin two-dimensional materials with silicon-based technology is reviewed, together with the associated opportunities and challenges, and a roadmap for future applications is presented.

Graphene and two-dimensional materials for silicon technology.

Phosphorene, an emerging two-dimensional material, has received considerable attention due to its layer-controlled direct bandgap, high carrier mobility, negative Poisson's ratio and unique in-plane anisotropy. As cousins of phosphorene, 2D group-VA arsenene, antimonene and bismuthene have also garnered tremendous interest due to their intriguing structures and fascinating electronic properties. 2D group-VA family members are opening up brand-new opportunities for their multifunctional applications encompassing electronics, optoelectronics, topological spintronics, thermoelectrics, sensors, Li- or Na-batteries. In this review, we extensively explore the latest theoretical and experimental progress made in the fundamental properties, fabrications and applications of 2D group-VA materials, and offer perspectives and challenges for the future of this emerging field.

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Recent progress in 2D group-VA semiconductors: from theory to experiment

This Review covers recent progress and current challenges in the synthesis and stabilization of elemental 2D materials — topical species with peculiar properties. The further development of preparative methodologies will help to expand the 2D materials library well beyond naturally occurring layered materials, and afford products with unique structures and functions.

Synthesis and chemistry of elemental 2D materials

2D phosphorene, arsenene, antimonene, and bismuthene, as a fast-growing family of 2D monoelemental materials, have attracted enormous interest in the scientific community owing to their intriguing structures and extraordinary electronic properties. Tuning the monoelemental crystals into bielemental ones between group-VA elements is able to preserve their advantages of unique structures, modulate their properties, and further expand their multifunctional applications. Herein, a review of the historical work is provided for both theoretical predictions and experimental advances of 2D V-V binary materials. Their various intriguing electronic properties are discussed, including band structure, carrier mobility, Rashba effect, and topological state. An emphasis is also given to their progress in fabricated approaches and potential applications. Finally, a detailed presentation on the opportunities and challenges in the future development of 2D V-V binary materials is given.

2D V-V Binary Materials: Status and Challenges.

Axions are weakly interacting particles of low mass, and were postulated more than 30 years ago in the framework of the Standard Model of particle physics. Their existence could explain the missing dark matter of the Universe. However, despite intensive searches, axions have yet to be observed. Here we show that magnetic fluctuations of topological insulators couple to the electromagnetic fields exactly like the axions, and propose several experiments to detect this dynamical axion field. In particular, we show that the axion coupling enables a nonlinear modulation of the electromagnetic field, leading to attenuated total reflection. We propose a new optical-modulator device based on this principle. Axions are hypothetical particles that might play an important part in particle physics, astrophysics and cosmology. So far they have eluded observation, but theoretical work now predicts that axion physics might be explored in condensed-matter systems known as topological insulators.

http://absimage.aps.org/image/MAR10/MWS_MAR10-2009-001051.pdf

Dynamical Axion Field in Topological Magnetic Insulators

To reduce Schottky-barrier-induced contact and access resistance, and the impact of charged impurity and phonon scattering on mobility in devices based on 2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), considerable effort has been put into exploring various doping techniques and dielectric engineering using high-κ oxides, respectively. The goal of this work is to demonstrate a high-κ dielectric that serves as an effective n-type charge transfer dopant on monolayer (ML) molybdenum disulfide (MoS2). Utilizing amorphous titanium suboxide (ATO) as the “high-κ dopant”, we achieved a contact resistance of ∼180 Ω·μm that is the lowest reported value for ML MoS2. An ON current as high as 240 μA/μm and field effect mobility as high as 83 cm2/V-s were realized using this doping technique. Moreover, intrinsic mobility as high as 102 cm2/V-s at 300 K and 501 cm2/V-s at 77 K were achieved after ATO encapsulation that are among the highest mobility values reported on ML MoS2. We also analyzed the doping effect of ATO film...

Air Stable Doping and Intrinsic Mobility Enhancement in Monolayer Molybdenum Disulfide by Amorphous Titanium Suboxide Encapsulation.

We report the first direct dry transfer of a single-crystalline thin film grown by molecular beam epitaxy. A double cantilever beam fracture technique was used to transfer epitaxial bismuth thin films grown on silicon (111) to silicon strips coated with epoxy. The transferred bismuth films retained electrical, optical, and structural properties comparable to the as-grown epitaxial films. Additionally, we isolated the bismuth thin films on freestanding flexible cured-epoxy post-transfer. The adhesion energy at the bismuth/silicon interface was measured to be ∼1 J/m2, comparable to that of exfoliated and wet transferred graphene. This low adhesion energy and ease of transfer is unexpected for an epitaxially grown film and may enable the study of bismuth’s unique electronic and spintronic properties on arbitrary substrates. Moreover, this method suggests a route to integrate other group-V epitaxial films (i.e., phosphorus) with arbitrary substrates, as well as potentially to isolate bismuthene, the atomic th...

Large-Area Dry Transfer of Single-Crystalline Epitaxial Bismuth Thin Films

We report on van der Waals epitaxial growth, materials characterization and magnetotransport experiments in crystalline nanosheets of Bismuth Telluro-Sulfide (BTS). Highly layered, good-quality crystalline nanosheets of BTS are obtained on SiO$_2$ and muscovite mica. Weak-antilocalization (WAL), electron-electron interaction-driven insulating ground state and universal conductance fluctuations are observed in magnetotransport experiments on BTS devices. Temperature, thickness and magnetic field dependence of the transport data indicate the presence of two-dimensional surface states along with bulk conduction, in agreement with theoretical models. An extended-WAL model is proposed and utilized in conjunction with a two-channel conduction model to analyze the data, revealing a surface component and evidence of multiple conducting channels. A facile growth method and detailed magnetotransport results indicating BTS as an alternative topological insulator material system are presented.

Weak Antilocalization and Universal Conductance Fluctuations in Bismuth Telluro-Sulfide Topological Insulators

We report on van der Waals epitaxial growth, materials characterization, and magnetotransport experiments in crystalline nanosheets of Bismuth Telluro-Sulfide (BTS). Highly layered, good-quality crystalline nanosheets of BTS are obtained on SiO2 and muscovite mica. Weak-antilocalization (WAL), electron-electron interaction-driven insulating ground state and universal conductance fluctuations are observed in magnetotransport experiments on BTS devices. Temperature, thickness, and magnetic field dependence of the transport data indicate the presence of two-dimensional surface states along with bulk conduction, in agreement with theoretical models. An extended-WAL model is proposed and utilized in conjunction with a two-channel conduction model to analyze the data, revealing a surface component and evidence of multiple conducting channels. A facile growth method and detailed magnetotransport results indicating BTS as an alternative topological insulator material system are presented.

Weak antilocalization and universal conductance fluctuations in bismuth telluro-sulfide topological insulators

As the focus of applied research in topological insulators (TI) evolves, the need to synthesize large-area TI films for practical device applications takes center stage. However, constructing scalable and adaptable processes for high-quality TI compounds remains a challenge. To this end, a versatile van der Waals epitaxy (vdWE) process for custom-feature bismuth telluro-sulfide TI growth and fabrication is presented, achieved through selective-area fluorination and modification of surface free-energy on mica. The TI features grow epitaxially in large single-crystal trigonal domains, exhibiting armchair or zigzag crystalline edges highly oriented with the underlying mica lattice and only two preferred domain orientations mirrored at 180°. As-grown feature thickness dependence on lateral dimensions and denuded zones at boundaries are observed, as explained by a semiempirical two-species surface migration model with robust estimates of growth parameters and elucidating the role of selective-area surface modi...

Tanuj Trivedi

Papers

Air Stable Doping and Intrinsic Mobility Enhancement in Monolayer Molybdenum Disulfide by Amorphous Titanium Suboxide Encapsulation.

Large-Area Dry Transfer of Single-Crystalline Epitaxial Bismuth Thin Films

Weak Antilocalization and Universal Conductance Fluctuations in Bismuth Telluro-Sulfide Topological Insulators

Weak antilocalization and universal conductance fluctuations in bismuth telluro-sulfide topological insulators

Versatile Large-Area Custom-Feature van der Waals Epitaxy of Topological Insulators.