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We report on the graphene-seeded growth and fabrication of photosensitive Cadmium telluride (CdTe)/graphene hybrid field-effect transistors (FETs) subjected to a post-growth activation process. CdTe thin films were selectively grown on pre-defined graphene, and their morphological, electrical and optoelectronic properties were systemically analyzed before and after the CdCl2 activation process. CdCl2-activated CdTe FETs showed p-type behavior with improved electrical features, including higher electrical conductivity (reduced sheet resistance from 1.09 × 10(9) to 5.55 × 10(7) Ω/sq.), higher mobility (from 0.025 to 0.20 cm2/(V·s)), and faster rise time (from 1.23 to 0.43 s). A post-growth activation process is essential to fabricate high-performance photosensitive CdTe/graphene hybrid devices.

We demonstrate the self-aligned growth of CdTe photodetectors using graphene as a pre-defined seed layer. Defects were generated in the graphene prior to growth to act as CdTe nucleation sites. Self-aligned CdTe structures were grown selectively on the pre-defined graphene region. The electrical and optoelectrical properties of the photodetectors were systematically analyzed. Our CdTe devices displayed Ohmic behavior with a low sheet resistance of 1.24 × 10(8) Ω/sq. Excellent photodetecting performances were achieved, including a high on-off ratio (~2.8), fast response time (10.4 s), and highly reproducible photoresponses. The fabrication method proposed here for these self-aligned device structures proves valuable for the development of next-generation graphene-semiconductor hybrid devices.

We demonstrate single CdTe microwire field-effect transistors (FETs) that are highly sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) light. Dense CdTe microwires were catalytically grown using a close-spaced sublimation system. Structural, morphological and transport properties in conjunction with the optoelectronic properties were systemically investigated. CdTe microwire FETs exhibited p-type behaviors with field-effect mobilities up to 1.1 × 10(-3) cm2 V(-1) s(-1). Optoelectronic properties of our CdTe microwire FETs were studied under dark and UV-illumination conditions, where photoresponse was highly dependent on the back-gate bias conditions. Our CdTe microwire FET-based photodetectors are promising for high-performance micro-optoelectronic applications.

We investigated the morphological, structural and optical properties of CdCl₂-treated cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin films deposited on defective graphene using a close-spaced sublimation (CSS) system. Heat treatment in the presence of CdCl₂ caused recrystallization of CSS-grown CdTe over the as-deposited structures. The preferential (111) orientation of as-deposited CdTe films was randomized after post-growth CdCl₂ treatment. New small grains (bumps) on the surface of CdCl₂-treated CdTe films were ascribed to nucleation of the CdTe grains during the CdCl₂ treatment. The properties of as-deposited and CdCl₂-treated CdTe films were characterized by room temperature micro-photoluminescence, micro-Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction analysis. Our results are useful to demonstrate a substrate configuration CdTe thin film solar cells.

We demonstrate GaN-based thin light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on flexible polymer and paper substrates covered with chemical vapor deposited graphene as a transparent-conductive layer. Thin LEDs were fabricated by lifting the sapphire substrate off by Excimer laser heating, followed by transfer of the LEDs to the flexible substrates. These substrates were coated with tri-layer graphene by a wet transfer method. Optical and electrical properties of thin laser lift-offed LEDs on the flexible substrates were characterized under both relaxed and strained conditions. The graphene on paper substrates remained conducting when the graphene/paper structure was folded. The high transmittance, low sheet resistance and high failure strain of the graphene make it an ideal candidate as the transparent and conductive layer in flexible optoelectronics.

We demonstrate AuCl3-doped graphene transparent conductive electrodes integrated in GaN-based ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with an emission peak of 363 nm. AuCl3 doping was accomplished by dipping the graphene electrodes in 5, 10 and 20 mM concentrations of AuCl3 solutions. The effects of AuCl3 doping on graphene electrodes were investigated by current-voltage characteristics, sheet resistance, scanning electron microscope, optical transmittance, micro-Raman scattering and electroluminescence images. The optical transmittance was decreased with increasing the AuCl3 concentrations. However, the forward currents of UV LEDs with p-doped (5, 10 and 20 mM of AuCl3 solutions) graphene transparent conductive electrodes at a forward bias of 8 V were increased by ~48, 63 and 73%, respectively, which can be attributed to the reduction of sheet resistance and the increase of work function of the graphene. The performance of UV LEDs was drastically improved by AuCl3 doping of graphene transparent conductive electrodes.