Different types of band alignment at MoS2/(Al, Ga, In)N heterointerfaces

Heterojunction band offset parameters are critical for designing and fabricating junction-based devices as these parameters play a crucial role in determining the optical and electronic properties of a device. Herein, we report the band discontinuities at the MoS2/III-nitride (InN, GaN, and AlN) heterointerfaces. Few-layer MoS2 thin films are deposited by pulsed laser deposition on III-nitrides/c-sapphire substrates. Band offsets [valence band offset (VBO) and conduction band offset (CBO)] at the heterojunctions are determined by high-resolution x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The estimated band alignments are found to be type-I (VBO: 2.34 eV, CBO: 2.59 eV), type-II (VBO: 2.38 eV, CBO: 0.32 eV), and type-III (VBO: 2.23 eV, CBO: 2.87 eV) for MoS2/AlN, MoS2/GaN, and MoS2/InN, respectively. Such determination of the band offsets of 2D/3D heterojunctions paves a way to understand and design the futuristic photonic and electronic devices using these material systems.