Mixed-dimensional van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures composed of one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) materials have exhibited great potential in nanoelectronics and nano-optoelectronics. In this study, we present a vertical point p-n junction (VPpnJ), in which a vertical stacked molybdenum disulfide/tungsten diselenide p-n junction is sandwiched between two cross-stacked metallic carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The device can be transformed from p-n junction to n-n junction via gate modulation. As a photodetector, the VPpnJ device can work in three different modes by setting the appropriate gating voltages. The photosensitive areas are localized around the top CNT, bottom CNT, and the cross point at VG = -10 V, 10 V, and ∼0 V, respectively. In the p-n regime at the negative gate voltage, the VPpnJ device showed an obvious photovoltaic effect. The external quantum efficiency of the VPpnJ can reach 42.7%. The electrical control of the electronic and optoelectronic characteristics can be mainly attributed to the gate-tunable interfacial built-in electric fields in the heterostructures. The progress also reveals the functional diversity of such 1D/2D mixed-dimensional heterostructures, which will be prospects for future nanoelectronics and nano-optoelectronics.
Keywords: 2D materials; carbon nanotube; photodetector; photovoltaic; p−n junction.