Tellurium-based Two-dimensional Nanostructures: Controlled Growth and Photodetector Applications

Chemical-vapor-deposition (CVD) grown, tellurium-based (including Bi2Te3 and SnTe) two-dimensional (2D) nanostructures present as promising candidature materials for fabricating high-performance IR/visible photodetectors, due to features such as low cost fabrication and high flexibility. In this project, we found that altering CVD growth parameters had substantial influences on nanostructure morphology and general nucleation patterns. By developing a CVD growth model based on empirical and theoretical observations, we were able to synthesize high-quality 2D nanostructures with large lateral sizes. Furthermore, we explored their applications in flexible photodetector devices operating within the IR/visible range, confirming great potential of these nanostructures for high-performance IR/visible photodetectors.