Researchers have discovered a one-size-fits-all master equation that shall pave the way towards a better design of 2D material electronics
Researchers at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) have made a step forward in resolving the mysteries surrounding 2D material Schottky diode. By employing a theoretical analysis, they developed a theory to describe different variants of 2D-material-based Schottky diodes under a unifying framework.
Schottky diode is composed of a metal in contact with a semiconductor. Despite its simple construction, it is a useful component and is omnipresent in modern electronics.
It is fabricated using two-dimensional (2D) materials which attracted research spotlight in recent years due to its practical applications such as transistors, rectifiers, radio frequency generators, logic gates, solar cells, chemical sensors, photodetectors, flexible electronics and so on.
Universal scaling law for 2D materials
Dr Yee Sin Ang, an author from SUTD mentioned about the finding mystery of Schottky diode. He suggested that the electrical current flowing across a 2D material Schottky diode follows a one-size-fits-all universal scaling law for many types of 2D materials.
The law discovered by SUTD researchers dictates how electrical current varies with temperature. It is applicable to broad classes of 2D systems including semiconductor quantum well, graphene, silicene, germanene, stanene, transition metal dichalcogenides and the thin-films of topological solids.
The mathematical form of the scaling law is useful for applied scientists and engineers in developing novel 2D material electronics. The law also provides a simple tool for the extraction of Schottky barrier height which is a physical quantity important for performance optimisation of 2D material electronics.
Universal scaling law is valuable in physics since it provides a practical Swiss knife for uncovering the inner workings of a physical system. It has appeared in many branches of physics such as semiconductor, superconductor, fluid dynamics, mechanical fractures. It is also applicable to complex systems such as animal lifespan, election results, transportation and city growth.
