SnS₂ Thin Film with In Situ and Controllable Sb Doping via Atomic Layer Deposition for Optoelectronic Applications

Abstract

SnS2 stands out as a highly promising 2D material with significant potential for applications in the field of electronics and photovoltaic technologies. Numerous attempts have been undertaken to modulate the physical properties of SnS2 by doping with various metal ions. Here, a series of Sb‐doped SnS2 is deposited via atomic layer deposition (ALD) super‐cycle process and compared its crystallinity, composition, and optical properties to those of pristine SnS2. It is found that the increase in the concentration of Sb is accompanied by a gradual reduction in the Sn and S binding energies. The work function is increased upon Sb doping from 4.32 eV (SnS2) to 4.75 eV (Sb‐doped SnS2 with 9:1 ratio). When integrated into photodetectors, the Sb‐doped SnS2 showed improved performance, demonstrating increased peak photoresponsivity values from 19.5 to 27.8 A W−1 at 405 nm, accompanied by an improvement in response speed. These results offer valuable insights into next‐generation optoelectronic applications based on SnS2.