High electron mobility, quantum Hall effect and anomalous optical response in atomically thin InSe

In Abstract

A new ultra-thin semiconductor that may extend the life of Moore’s law comes to light

Following a decade of intensive research into graphene and two-dimensional materials, a new semiconductor material has been demonstrated to show potential for future super-fast electronics. This new semiconductor is indium selenide (InSe), used in two-dimensional layers that are only a few atoms thick. InSe has an electronic quality higher than that of silicon which is ubiquitously used in modern electronics. Importantly, unlike graphene but similar to silicon, ultra-thin InSe has a large energy gap allowing transistors to be easily switched on and off, allowing for super-fast next-generation electronic devices.

Now, researchers at the University of Manchester have overcome a major problem to create high-quality InSe devices. Being so thin, InSe is rapidly damaged by oxygen and moisture present in the atmosphere. To avoid such damage, the devices were prepared in an argon atmosphere. The electron mobility at room temperature was measured to be significantly higher than silicon. The experiments produced material several micrometres in size, comparable to the cross-section of a human hair. The researchers believe that by following the methods now widely used to produce large-area graphene sheets, InSe could also soon be produced at a commercial level.

Click here to read the full article - DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2016.242