Contemporary innovations in two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide-based P–N junctions for optoelectronics

Abstract

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (2D-TMDCs) with various physical characteristics have attracted significant interest from the scientific and industrial worlds in the years following Moore's law. The p–n junction is one of the earliest electrical components to be utilized in electronics and optoelectronics, and modern research on 2D materials has renewed interest in it. In this regard, device preparation and application have evolved substantially in this decade. 2D TMDCs provide unprecedented flexibility in the construction of innovative p–n junction device designs, which is not achievable with traditional bulk semiconductors. It has been investigated using 2D TMDCs for various junctions, including homojunctions, heterojunctions, P–I–N junctions, and broken gap junctions. To achieve high-performance p–n junctions, several issues still need to be resolved, such as developing 2D TMDCs of superior quality, raising the rectification ratio and quantum efficiency, and successfully separating the photogenerated electron–hole pairs, among other things. This review comprehensively details the various 2D-based p–n junction geometries investigated with an emphasis on 2D junctions. We investigated the 2D p–n junctions utilized in current rectifiers and photodetectors. To make a comparison of various devices easier, important optoelectronic and electronic features are presented. We thoroughly assessed the review's prospects and challenges for this emerging field of study. This study will serve as a roadmap for more real-world photodetection technology applications.