Transfer-free, scalable photodetectors based on MOCVD-grown 2D-heterostructures

2D semiconductors based on transition metal dichalcogenides are highly promising for ultrathin photodetectors due to their thickness in the nanometer range and their exceptional light absorption properties. To enable efficient separation of optically generated electron–hole pairs heterostructures have to be implemented, which are usually prepared by poorly controlled mechanical steps such as exfoliation, transfer and stacking processes that prevent industrial upscaling. Here, semitransparent photodetectors in the mm 2 range based on MoS 2 /WS 2 heterostructures are presented that are realized without any transfer step by a scalable metal-organic chemical vapor deposition process on a sapphire substrate in a continuous growth run. The heterostructure device exhibits a responsivity, which is enhanced by about 5–6 orders of magnitude with respect to reference devices based on either MoS 2 or WS 2 monolayers only. The large gain enhancement is attributed to efficient charge carrier separation at the MoS 2 /WS 2 heterointerface combined with hole trapping, leading to an improved electron transport in the heterostructure under illumination.