Type-controlled Nanodevices Based on Encapsulated Few-layer Black Phosphorus for Quantum Transport

TL;DR

This paper presents a method to create high-mobility black phosphorus nanodevices with controlled electronic properties by encapsulating them in hexagonal boron nitride and using specific metal electrodes, enabling quantum transport studies.

Contribution

It introduces a fabrication technique for stable, high-mobility black phosphorus devices with tunable electronic properties using encapsulation and selective electrode deposition.

Findings

Achieved record-high mobilities of 6000 and 8400 cm^2V^{-1}s^{-1} for electrons and holes.

Demonstrated control over p-type and ambipolar behavior via electrode work functions.

Enabled observation of quantum oscillations and Zeeman effects in black phosphorus devices.

Abstract

We demonstrate that encapsulation of atomically thin black phosphorus (BP) by hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) sheets is very effective for minimizing the interface impurities induced during fabrication of BP channel material for quantum transport nanodevices. Highly stable BP nanodevices with ultrahigh mobility and controllable types are realized through depositing appropriate metal electrodes after conducting a selective etching to the BP encapsulation structure. Chromium and titanium are suitable metal electrodes for BP channels to control the transition from a p-type unipolar property to ambipolar characteristic because of different work functions. Record-high mobilities of 6000 $cm^2V^{-1}s^{-1}$ and 8400 $cm^2V^{-1}s^{-1}$ are respectively obtained for electrons and holes at cryogenic temperatures. High-mobility BP devices enable the investigation of quantum oscillations with an indistinguishable Zeeman effect in laboratory magnetic field.