Highly Tunable Lateral Homojunction Formed in Two-Dimensional Layered CuInP2S6 via In- Plane Ionic Migration

As basic building blocks for next-generation information technologies devices, high-quality p -n junctions based on van der Waals (vdW) materials have attracted widespread interest. Compared to traditional two-dimensional (2D) heterojunction diodes, the emerging homojunctions are more attractive owing to their intrinsic advantages, such as continuous band alignments and smaller carrier trapping. Here, utilizing the long-range migration of Cu+ ions under an in-plane electric field, a lateral p -n homojunction was constructed in the 2D layered copper indium thiophosphate (CIPS). The symmetric Au/CIPS/Au devices demonstrate an electric-field-driven resistance switching (RS) accompanied by a rectification behavior without any gate control. Moreover, such rectification behavior can be continuously modulated by poling voltage. We deduce that the reversable rectifying RS behavior is governed by the effective lateral build-in potential and the change of the interfacial barrier during the poling process. Furthermore, the CIPS p -n homojuction is evidenced by the photovoltaic effect, with the spectral response extending up to the visible region due to the better photogenerated carrier separation efficiency. Therefore, this work provides a facile route to fabricate homojunctions through electric-field-driven ionic migration.

Automated summary

As building blocks for next-generation information technologies devices, p-n junctions based on van der Waals materials are important. Homojunctions are particularly attractive due to their advantages in band alignment and carrier trapping. In this study, a lateral p-n homojunction was successfully constructed in 2D layered copper indium thiophosphate through the migration of Cu+ ions under an electric field. The resulting devices demonstrated electric-field-driven resistance switching and rectification behavior, which could be continuously modulated by poling voltage. Additionally, the homojunction showed a photovoltaic effect with spectral response up to the visible region.