Bias- and Gate-Tunable Gas Sensor Response Originating from Modulation in the Schottky Barrier Height of a Graphene/MoS₂ van der Waals Heterojunction

Abstract

We report on the gas-sensing characteristics of a van der Waals heterojunction consisting of graphene and a MoS₂ flake. To extract the response actually originating from the heterojunction area, the other gas-sensitive parts were passivated by gas barrier layers. The graphene/MoS₂ heterojunction device demonstrated a significant change in resistance, by a factor of greater than 10³, upon exposure to 1 ppm NO₂ under a reverse-bias condition, which was revealed to be a direct reflection of the modulation of the Schottky barrier height at the graphene/MoS₂ interface. The magnitude of the response demonstrated strong dependences on the bias and back-gate voltages. The response further increased with increasing reverse bias. Conversely, it dramatically decreased when measured at a large forward bias or a large positive back-gate voltage. These behaviors were analyzed using a metal-semiconductor-metal diode model consisting of graphene/MoS₂ and counter Ti/MoS₂ Schottky diodes.