Black phosphorus (BP) has emerged as a promising two-dimensional material due to its unique properties, including a tunable bandgap, high carrier mobility, and strong light-matter interaction. In recent years, research efforts have intensified to explore the potential of BP in various applications, particularly in photonics and printed electronics. Moreover, the development of scalable synthesis routes has enabled the production of black phosphorus inks, making them suitable for industrial applications. This abstract presents an overview of our team’s latest advancements in black phosphorus photonic inks, focusing on their synthesis, characterization, and applications for photonic and opto-electronic devices.
We use a liquid-phase exfoliation method for the synthesis of BP photonic inks, yielding dispersions suitable for solution processing and aerosol jet printing. Characterization techniques play a crucial role in understanding the optical and electronic properties of the inks. For optical properties, spectroscopic methods such as Raman spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and absorbance provide valuable insights into the composition of the dispersions. For electronic properties, we use the transfer length method (TLM) to characterize the ink ‘film’ conductivity, achieving < 10 Ohm-cm over multiple repeats.
The unique optical properties of black phosphorus, including its tunable bandgap and high carrier mobility, make it an attractive candidate for various photonic device applications. BP photonic inks were utilized in the fabrication of optoelectronic devices using aerosol jet printing. Example devices include pn diodes and photodetectors, as we build towards ink-printed light-emitting diodes. Looking forward, BP photonic inks offer opportunities for the development of novel active components via heterogeneous integration onto photonic chips, including light emitters and detectors for silicon photonics.
Additionally, the compatibility of BP photonic inks with printed electronics processes presents exciting prospects for the integration of BP-based materials for semiconductor device applications. Aerosol jet printing and other additive manufacturing techniques offer a pathway for the scalable fabrication of BP-based semiconductor devices with tailored functionalities. This opens avenues for the realization of flexible and wearable electronics, as well as the development of low-cost sensors for environmental monitoring and healthcare applications.
Key results include: - achieving high-quality electrical films with low resistivity (high conductivity) of < 10 Ohm-cm over multiple repeats of printed films. - Photodiodes matching state-of-the-art responsivity of 0.8 A/W at 980 nm. - Development of a photonic annealing recipe towards scalable manufacturing.
In brief, the synthesis, characterization, and application of black phosphorus photonic inks represent a significant step towards realizing the full potential of BP in photonics and semiconductor printed electronics. With ongoing research and development efforts, BP-based materials hold promise for revolutionizing the design and fabrication of next-generation photonic and semiconductor devices with enhanced functionality.
