Salt-Assisted Growth of Ultrathin GeSe Rectangular Flakes for Phototransistors with Ultrahigh Responsivity

Two-dimensional (2D) GeSe is an important IVA–VIA semiconductor for future applications in electronics and optoelectronics because of its high absorption coefficient, mobility, and photoresponsivity. However, the controllable synthesis of 2D GeSe flakes is still a huge problem. Here, high-quality single-crystalline ultrathin 2D GeSe flakes are synthesized by a salt-assisted chemical vapor deposition method. The flakes tend to grow along the [010] crystal orientation presenting a rectangular shape with a thickness down to 5 nm. Then, the electrical and optoelectronic properties have been systematically investigated. A thickness-dependent Schottky barrier is shown in GeSe field-effect transistors. The p-type conductivity of GeSe is mainly caused by the Ge deficiency, which is proven by a variable-temperature experiment and theoretical calculations. In addition, the phototransistors based on as-grown GeSe flakes present an ultrahigh responsivity of 1.8 × 104 A/W and an excellent external quantum efficiency of 4.2 × 106%.