CityU researchers fabricate high-quality tellurium nanomesh
Scientists at the City University of Hong Kong have invented a low-temperature vapor-phase growth method for synthesising high-quality tellurium nanomesh.
The new method enables the large-scale production of nanomesh for next-generation electronics, with lower production costs compared to conventional methods.
Nanomesh, a nano-scale material formed from a network of nanowires, has been widely explored in electronics due to its mechanical flexibility, energy efficiency, and optical transparency. However, the scalability, integrability, and cost-effectiveness of nanowire semiconductors have been insufficient, limiting their application in large-area electronic and optoelectronic devices.
CityU scientists, led by Professor Johnny Ho Chung-yin, developed this innovative low-temperature method that can produce high-quality tellurium nanomesh on various substrates, including silicon oxide, polymers, and even paper. The process involves vaporizing tellurium source powders and carrying them to growth substrates, where they are heated at 100°C with a flow of argon gas. The nanomeshes are composed of self-assembled and self-welding tellurium nanowires laterally vapor-grown on any surface.
According to Ho, "The use of tellurium nanomesh in electronics holds great promise for meeting the emerging technological demands of today’s Internet of Things (IoT) applications." The research marks a significant step towards the large-scale production of functional tellurium nanomesh, enabling potential applications that are not achievable through other means.
The low-temperature growth process (100°C) and the capability to grow nanomesh on various substrates reduce the production cost. Additionally, the discovery of a self-welding process in the growth of tellurium nanomesh is crucial for improving device performance and ensuring the mechanical robustness of flexible electronics.
The team's experiments demonstrated the multi-functional applications of tellurium nanomesh, including micrometre-level patterning, the fabrication of high-mobility transistors, and the production of fast and sensitive infrared photodetectors (photoresponse time under 3 microseconds) on paper.
"All the obtained device metrics are on par with state-of-the-art devices, but can be produced at a lower cost. They are promising for meeting emerging technological demands," said Ho. "This latest development has improved the transport and photoelectric properties of nanomesh and resolved concerns about the compatibility between the target device substrate and the nanomesh growth process. As a result, devices can now be produced on a wide range of technologically functional surfaces in a scalable and cost-effective manner."
The research was published in the scientific journal Nature Communications. To access the article click here. The research team included collaborators from Kyushu University, the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Zhengzhou University, and Beijing University of Technology.