Research Projects

This proposal aims at studying the functional properties of Topological Insulators (TI) to be inserted in photodetectors and thin film transistors (TFT) devices, with particular focus on optoelectronic applications and large-area electronics. Different TI will be developed by DC/RF sputtering and Thermal Evaporator system. Different topological materials with high crystalline quality and nanometer reduced thickness will be compared. Once the film growth is optimized, we will use TI films for photodetectors and thin-film transistor applications. For photodetectors, the effect of surface states and bulk energy bandgap shall be studied under unpolarized light. For TFT applications, TI-based TFTs devices will be fabricated, exploiting the unprecedented conduction properties of topologically protected states of TI. The functional properties like drain current vs. gate voltage, will be studied using I-V characterization and based upon the experimental results SPICE models of the TFT will be calibrated. This study will unravel the possibility to exploit surface enhanced conduction of TI for flexible large scale devices aiming at understanding the intimate thickness and structural dependence of topological properties.