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Atomically Thin Arsenene and Antimonene: Semimetal–Semiconductor and Indirect–Direct Band‐Gap Transitions
Author(s) -
Zhang Shengli,
Yan Zhong,
Li Yafei,
Chen Zhongfang,
Zeng Haibo
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.201411246
Subject(s) - semiconductor , semimetal , band gap , materials science , optoelectronics , direct and indirect band gaps , wide bandgap semiconductor , transistor , nanotechnology , physics , quantum mechanics , voltage
Abstract The typical two‐dimensional (2D) semiconductors MoS 2 , MoSe 2 , WS 2 , WSe 2 and black phosphorus have garnered tremendous interest for their unique electronic, optical, and chemical properties. However, all 2D semiconductors reported thus far feature band gaps that are smaller than 2.0 eV, which has greatly restricted their applications, especially in optoelectronic devices with photoresponse in the blue and UV range. Novel 2D mono‐elemental semiconductors, namely monolayered arsenene and antimonene, with wide band gaps and high stability were now developed based on first‐principles calculations. Interestingly, although As and Sb are typically semimetals in the bulk, they are transformed into indirect semiconductors with band gaps of 2.49 and 2.28 eV when thinned to one atomic layer. Significantly, under small biaxial strain, these materials were transformed from indirect into direct band‐gap semiconductors. Such dramatic changes in the electronic structure could pave the way for transistors with high on/off ratios, optoelectronic devices working under blue or UV light, and mechanical sensors based on new 2D crystals.