Our society largely relies on inorganic semiconductor devices which are, so far, fabricated using expensive and complex processes requiring ultra-high vacuum equipment. Here we report on the possibility of growing a p-n junction taking advantage of electrochemical processes based on the use of aqueous solutions. The growth of the junction has been carried out using the Electrochemical Atomic Layer Deposition (E-ALD) technique, which allowed to sequentially deposit two different semiconductors, CdS and Cu2S, on an Ag(111) substrate, in a single procedure. The growth process was monitored in situ by Surface X-Ray Diffraction (SXRD) and resulted in the fabrication of a thin double-layer structure with a high degree of crystallographic order and a well-defined interface. The high-performance electrical characteristics of the device were analysed ex-situ and show the characteristic feature of a diode.

On the Electrochemical Growth of a Crystalline p–n Junction From Aqueous Solutions

Felici, Roberto;Lavacchi, Alessandro;Berretti, Enrico;Montegrossi, Giordano;Poggini, Lorenzo;Russo, Francesca;Sportelli, Maria C.;Torsi, Luisa;Innocenti, Massimo
2024

Abstract

Our society largely relies on inorganic semiconductor devices which are, so far, fabricated using expensive and complex processes requiring ultra-high vacuum equipment. Here we report on the possibility of growing a p-n junction taking advantage of electrochemical processes based on the use of aqueous solutions. The growth of the junction has been carried out using the Electrochemical Atomic Layer Deposition (E-ALD) technique, which allowed to sequentially deposit two different semiconductors, CdS and Cu2S, on an Ag(111) substrate, in a single procedure. The growth process was monitored in situ by Surface X-Ray Diffraction (SXRD) and resulted in the fabrication of a thin double-layer structure with a high degree of crystallographic order and a well-defined interface. The high-performance electrical characteristics of the device were analysed ex-situ and show the characteristic feature of a diode.
2024
Istituto di Chimica dei Composti OrganoMetallici - ICCOM -
Istituto di Geoscienze e Georisorse - IGG - Sede Secondaria Firenze
Istituto Superconduttori, materiali innovativi e dispositivi - SPIN
Atomic layer deposition; Cadmium sulfide; Copper compounds; Semiconductor junctions; Silver compounds; Substrates; Atomic-layer deposition; Complex Processes; Deposition technique; Electrochemical growth; Electrochemical process; Electrochemicals; Growth process; Inorganic semiconductors; P-n junction; Process-based; II-VI semiconductors
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14243/486081
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