Type-II tunable SiC/InSe heterostructures under an electric field and biaxial strain†
Abstract
In this study, first-principles calculations based on the density functional theory (DFT) are exploited to investigate the electronic capabilities of SiC/InSe heterostructures. According to our results, the SiC/InSe heterostructure possesses an inherent type-II band alignment, which displays a noticeable Stark effect on the band gap under a stable electric field. Besides, the heterostructure exhibits a low carrier effective mass and a narrower band gap when it is subject to tensile strain. More interestingly, the transition from an indirect to a direct band gap occurs when 8% of compressive strain is applied. Taken together, findings in this study indicate that the SiC/InSe heterostructure opens up a new avenue for its application in the fields of optoelectronics and microelectronics.