Versatile van der Waals Heterostructures of Gamma-GeSe with h-BN/Graphene/MoS2

TL;DR

This study uses first-principles calculations to design and analyze van der Waals heterostructures of Gamma-GeSe with graphene, h-BN, and MoS2, revealing their electronic properties and potential applications in nanoelectronics.

Contribution

It introduces the design of Gamma-GeSe-based heterostructures with graphene, h-BN, and MoS2, demonstrating their electronic characteristics and potential for device applications.

Findings

Gamma-GeSe/BN forms a type-I band alignment with large band offsets.

Gamma-GeSe/graphene exhibits a low Schottky barrier tunable by strain and electric field.

Gamma-GeSe/MoS2 forms a Z-scheme interface beneficial for carrier splitting.

Abstract

Recent discovery of a novel hexagonal phase of GeSe (Gamma-GeSe) has triggered great interests in nanoelectronics applications owing to its electrical conductivity of bulk phase even higher than graphite while its monolayer is a semiconductor. For potential applications, construction of functional two-dimensional (2D) contacts is indispensable. Herein, via first-principles calculations, we propose the design of van der Waals heterostructures (vdWHs) of Gamma-GeSe contacting respectively with graphene, 2D h-BN and MoS2, as representatives of metallic, insulator, and semiconductor partners. Our work shows that the h-BN or graphene layer donates electrons to the Gamma-GeSe layer, resulting in n doping in Gamma-GeSe, while the MoS2 layer accepts electrons from the Gamma-GeSe layer leading to p doping of the latter. The Gamma-GeSe/BN heterostructure has a type-I band alignment with large band offsets, indicating that BN can be used as an effective passivating layer to protect Gamma-GeSe from its environmental disturbance while maintaining its major electronic and optical characteristics. For Gamma-GeSe/graphene heterostructure, it is prone to have a very low-Schottky barrier down to tens of meV, easily overcome by thermal excitation, which can be tunable by strain and external electric field. The Gamma-GeSe/MoS2 vdWH forms a Z-scheme interface, which is beneficial for carriers splitting and photon utilization. Our work indicates that Gamma-GeSe can be well passivated by BN, and form intimate contact with graphene for high charge injection efficiency and with MoS2 for efficient carriers splitting for redox reactions.