Optically Active Defect Engineering via Plasma Treatment in a MIS‐Type 2D Heterostructure

Abstract

At the interface of 2D heterostructures, the presence of defects and their manipulation play a crucial role in the interfacial charge transfer behavior, further influencing the device functionality and performance. In this study, the impact of deliberately introduced photo‐active defects in the h‐BN layer on the interfacial charge transfer and photoresponse performance of a metal‐insulator‐semiconductor type heterostructure device is explored. The formation and concentration of defects are qualitatively controlled using an inductive coupled plasma treatment method, as evidenced by enhanced h‐BN defect emission and more efficient optically induced doping of graphene at the graphene/h‐BN interface. Besides, the use of the h‐BN layer between graphene and WS2 not only suppresses charge carriers in the dark state, but also promotes the separation of photo‐generated electron‐hole pairs and interfacial charge transfer due to the existence of defect levels, leading to orders of magnitude improvement in the light on/off ratio and self‐driving performance of the heterostructure photodetector. This strategy of controlling defect states in the insulating layer provides a new approach to optimize the charge transfer processes at the 2D interfaces, so as to expand its potential applications in the fields of electronic and optoelectronic devices.