Black Phosphorus (BP) ink technology for printed optoelectronic devices

Black phosphorus (BP) has emerged as a promising two-dimensional material due to its unique properties, including a tunable bandgap, high carrier mobility, and strong light-matter interaction. In recent years, research efforts have intensified to explore the potential of BP in various applications, particularly in photonics and printed electronics. Moreover, the development of scalable synthesis routes has enabled the production of black phosphorus inks in large quantities, making them suitable for industrial applications. This abstract presents an overview of our team’s latest advancements in black phosphorus photonic inks, focusing on their synthesis, characterization, and device applications for photonic devices.

BP photonic inks were utilized in the fabrication of optoelectronic devices using aerosol jet printing. Example devices include pn diodes and photodetectors, as we build towards ink-printed light-emitting diodes. Looking forward, BP photonic inks offer opportunities for the development of novel active components via heterogeneous integration onto photonic chips, including light emitters and detectors for silicon photonics.

Additionally, the compatibility of BP photonic inks with printed electronics processes presents exciting prospects for the integration of BP-based materials for semiconductor device applications. Aerosol jet printing and other additive manufacturing techniques offer a pathway for the scalable fabrication of BP-based semiconductor devices with tailored functionalities. This opens up avenues for the realization of flexible and wearable electronics, as well as the development of low-cost sensors for environmental monitoring and healthcare applications.