Programmable Photo-Induced Doping in 2D Materials

Over the past few decades, certain features of the bulk and surface properties of nanoscale two-dimensional (2D) layered materials have been exploited to improve the performance and efficiency of optoelectronics functional devices. These findings include the role of surface modifications, including dopant engineering with chemical modifications, structural control through physical modifications, and bandgap modification through electrostatic control, but to enable n- or p-type behavior in the same nanoflakes without photoresist and environmental stability in traded devices is challenging. In this state-of-the-art focused review article, the most up-to-date and promising strategies to develop nanodevices with photoresist-free possibilities of controlling the conduction type in 2D nanostructures based on the mechanical exfoliation of ultrathin nanomaterials are attempted to summarize. This article demonstrates how carrier type band modulation in transition metal dichalcogenides is generated by the charge storage interface or defect engineering such as optical-electronic excitation of donor-like states (or point defects) in BN upon illumination to configure opposite polarities, n, or the p-type field-effect transistor from an intrinsic semiconductor. It is believed that this brief overview of recent research on nanomaterials for application in various types of functional electronic devices may contribute in the development of future optoelectronic devices.