Phase Modulation of Self-Gating in Ionic Liquid-Functionalized InSe Field-Effect Transistors

Understanding the Coulomb interactions between two-dimensional (2D) materials and adjacent ions/impurities is essential to realizing 2D material-based hybrid devices. Electrostatic gating via ionic liquids (ILs) has been employed to study the properties of 2D materials. However, the intrinsic interactions between 2D materials and ILs are rarely addressed. This work studies the intersystem Coulomb interactions in IL-functionalized InSe field-effect transistors by displacement current measurements. We uncover a strong self-gating effect that yields a 50-fold enhancement in interfacial capacitance, reaching 550 nF/cm(2) in the maximum. Moreover, we reveal the IL-phase-dependent transport characteristics, including the channel current, carrier mobility, and density, substantiating the self-gating at the InSe/IL interface. The dominance of self-gating in the rubber phase is attributed to the correlation between the intra- and intersystem Coulomb interactions, further confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. This study provides insights into the capacitive coupling at the InSe/IL interface, paving the way to developing liquid/2D material hybrid devices.

Automated summary

This study investigates the intersystem Coulomb interactions in IL-functionalized InSe field-effect transistors through displacement current measurements. The research uncovers a strong self-gating effect and reveals the IL-phase-dependent transport characteristics. Raman spectroscopy confirms the dominance of self-gating caused by the correlation between the intra- and intersystem Coulomb interactions. This study is significant for understanding the capacitive coupling at the InSe/IL interface.