Field-induced reversible phase transition and negative differential resistance in In2Se3 ferroelectric semiconducting FETs

Indium selenide (In2Se3), a ferroelectric semiconductor, offers a unique platform for multifunctional nanoelectronics owing to the interplay between polarization dynamics, interlayer sliding, and structural polymorphism. Ferroelectric semiconductor field-effect transistors (FeS-FETs) provide an ideal architecture to harness this coupling. Here, we demonstrate gate-tunable negative differential resistance (NDR) with high peak-to-valley ratios and hysteretic output conductance in In2Se3 FeS-FETs. Combining high-resolution electron microscopy with electrical transport measurements, we attribute the NDR to a field-induced, volatile phase transition from a low-resistance alpha-2H phase to a high-resistance state. Atomic scale ex-situ imaging reveals that in-plane electric fields (Vd) drive interlayer sliding, rotational misalignments that generate Moire patterns, and intralayer shear-together producing stress induced phase transitions. Out-of-plane field however results in robust non-volatile polarization switching. These mechanistic insights highlight both the promise of two dimensional ferroelectric devices for multifunctional nanoelectronics and alternative computing paradigms, and the intrinsic limitations of In2Se3 field-effect transistors for conventional ferroelectric memory applications.