Blue Phosphorus in Semiconductors



 Phosphorus is considered one of the most important elements for life on earth. The compounds of phosphorus are intertwined in the function and structure of organisms. Each human being has about 1 kg in the body. Phosphates are in our medicine, fertilizers, detergents, and, yes, even in our food. 

Phosphorus has many refinements that have extremely different behaviors. Under normal conditions, white, black, purple, and red have been observed. Michigan University discovered blue phosphorus in 2016.

Blue phosphorus is a 2D material. It has a honeycomb like structure that is in a single layer. It sounds exactly like graphene.

Compared to graphene, it has been called blue phosphorene. This semiconductor material is promising  for new optoelectronic devices. Using highly precise calculations on high-performance computers, a unique discovery was made. 

The Dresden chemist Prof. Thomas Heine is working in collaboration with Mexican scientists. They discovered the remarkably stable two layer buckled honeycomb structure that is blue phosphorus. 

Because it is two layered, scientists discovered it has metallic properties due to a very small distance between the two layers. This research was recently published in Physical Review Letters. 

Metal electrodes power optoelectronic devices. At the metal – semiconductor joint energy losses are unavoidable. This is  called the Schottky barrier.

Blue phosphorus is semiconducting when in a single layer, but becomes metallic when in a double layer. Metallic 2-D substances are very rare. For the first time, a pure elemental material has been observed that shows a semiconductor-metal transition from one layer to two. 

This means that an optoelectronic component or an electronic component can be made from only one element.

Because there are no interfaces between semiconductors and metal in the new devices, efficiency will be greatly increased. 

Prof. Heine states, “ Imagine you put two layers of paper on top of each other and suddenly the double sheet shines metallically like gold foil. This is exactly what we predict for blue phosphorene. This work underlines the importance of interdisciplinary involvement in basic research. Using a topological-mathematical model and theoretical chemistry, we were able to design a new material on the computer and predict its physical properties. Applications in the field of nano and optoelectronics are expected.”

These are huge results and the scientists have been rewarded. First author Jessica Arcudia From Mexico was recently awarded the Latin X chem prize and the ACS Presidential Award. 

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