Low‐dimensional (including two‐dimensional [2D], one‐dimensional [1D], and zero‐dimensional [0D]) semiconductor materials have great potential in electronic/optoelectronic applications due to their unique structure and characteristics. Many 2D (such as transition metal dichalcogenides and black phosphorus) and 1D (such as NWs) materials have demonstrated superior performance in field effect transistors, photodetectors (PDs), and some flexible devices. And in some hybrid structures of 0D materials and 1D or 2D materials, the modification of 1D and 2D devices by 0D materials is embodied. This type of hybrid heterostructure has a larger performance optimization compared with the original. In the application of PDs, the variety of low‐dimensional materials and properties enable wide‐spectrum detection from ultraviolet UV to infrared, which provide a potential option for PDs under various conditions. For flexible electronic devices, high performance and mechanical stability are two important features. Low‐dimensional materials offer unparalleled advantages in flexible devices. In this review, we will focus on the various low‐dimensional materials that have been extensively studied and their applications in the electronics/optoelectronic and flexible electronics. From the composition and lattice structure of materials (including alloys) to the construction of various devices and heterostructures, we will introduce their application and recent development under various conditions. These works can provide valuable guidance for the construction and application of more high‐performance and multifunctional devices.
Structural symmetry is a simple way to quantify the anisotropic properties of materials toward unique device applications including anisotropic transportation and polarization‐sensitive photodetection. The enhancement of anisotropy can be achieved by artificial symmetry‐reduction design. A core–shell SbI3/Sb2O3 nanowire, a heterostructure bonded by van der Waals forces, is introduced as an example of enhancing the performance of polarization‐sensitive photodetectors via symmetry reduction. The structural, vibrational, and optical anisotropies of such core–shell nanostructures are systematically investigated. It is found that the anisotropic absorbance of a core–shell nanowire is obviously higher than that of two single compounds from both theoretical and experimental investigations. Anisotropic photocurrents of the polarization‐sensitive photodetectors based on these core–shell SbI3/Sb2O3 van der Waals nanowires are measured ranging from ultraviolet (UV) to visible light (360–532 nm). Compared with other van der Waals 1D materials, low anisotropy ratio (Imax/Imin) is measured based on SbI3 but a device based on this core–shell nanowire possesses a relatively high anisotropy ratio of ≈3.14 under 450 nm polarized light. This work shows that the low‐symmetrical core–shell van der Waals heterostructure has large potential to be applied in wide range polarization‐sensitive photodetectors.
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