Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are emerging as an appealing class of highly tailorable electrically conducting materials with potential applications in optoelectronics. Yet, the realization of their proof‐of‐concept devices remains a daunting challenge, attributed to their poor electrical properties. Following recent work on a semiconducting Fe₃(THT)₂(NH₄)₃ (THT: 2,3,6,7,10,11‐triphenylenehexathiol) 2D MOF with record‐high mobility and band‐like charge transport, here, an Fe₃(THT)₂(NH₄)₃ MOF‐based photodetector operating in photoconductive mode capable of detecting a broad wavelength range from UV to NIR (400–1575 nm) is demonstrated. The narrow IR bandgap of the active layer (≈0.45 eV) constrains the performance of the photodetector at room temperature by band‐to‐band thermal excitation of charge carriers. At 77 K, the device performance is significantly improved; two orders of magnitude higher voltage responsivity, lower noise equivalent power, and higher specific detectivity of 7 × 10⁸ cm Hz^1/2 W⁻¹ are achieved under 785 nm excitation. These figures of merit are retained over the analyzed spectral region (400–1575 nm) and are commensurate to those obtained with the first demonstrations of graphene‐ and black‐phosphorus‐based photodetectors. This work demonstrates the feasibility of integrating conjugated MOFs as an active element into broadband photodetectors, thus bridging the gap between materials' synthesis and technological applications.

The field of two‐dimensional (2D) materials has stimulated considerable interest in the scientific community. Owing to quantum confinement in one direction, intriguing properties have been reported in 2D materials that cannot be observed in their bulk form. The advent of semiconducting 2D materials with a broad range of electronic properties has provided fascinating opportunities to design and configure next‐generation electronics. One such emerging class is the family of III‐VI monochalcogenides, the two prominent members of which are indium selenide (InSe) and gallium selenide (GaSe). In contrast to transition metal dichalcogenides, their high intrinsic mobility and the availability of a direct bandgap at small thicknesses have attracted researchers to investigate the underlying physical phenomena as well as their technological applications. However, the sensitivity of InSe and GaSe to environmental influences has limited their exploitation in functional devices. The lack of methods for their scalable synthesis further hinders the realization of their devices. This review article outlines recent advancements in the synthesis and understanding of the charge transport properties of InSe and GaSe for their integration into technological applications. A detailed summary of the improvements in the device structure by optimizing extrinsic factors such as bottom substrates, metal contacts, and device fabrication schemes is provided. Furthermore, various encapsulation techniques that have been proven effective in preventing the degradation of InSe and GaSe layers under ambient conditions are thoroughly discussed. Finally, this article presents an outlook on future research ventures with respect to ongoing developments and practical viability of these materials. image

Amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (a-IGZO) is demonstrated as an electron transport layer (ETL) in a high-performance organic photodetector (OPD). Dark current in the range of 10 nA/cm² at a bias voltage of −2 V and a high photoresponse in the visible spectrum were obtained in inverted OPDs with poly(3-hexylthiophene) and phenyl-C₆₁-butyric acid methyl ester active layer. The best results were obtained for the optimum a-IGZO thickness of 7.5 nm with specific detectivity of 3 × 10¹² Jones at the wavelength of 550 nm. The performance of the best OPD devices using a-IGZO was shown to be comparable to state-of-the-art devices based on TiO_x as ETL, with higher rectification achieved in reverse bias. Yield and reproducibility were also enhanced with a-IGZO, facilitating fabrication of large area OPDs. Furthermore, easier integration with IGZO-based readout backplanes can be envisioned, where the channel material can be used as photodiode buffer layer after additional treatment.

Black phosphorus (BP) has quickly gained popularity in the scientific community owing to its interesting semiconducting properties, such as direct bandgap, high mobility, and intrinsic ambipolar behavior. However, its sensitivity to oxygen, moisture, and other air species has restricted its integration into active devices. Here, the lithography‐free via‐encapsulation scheme to fabricate fully‐encapsulated BP‐based field‐effect transistors (FETs) is employed. The full encapsulation is achieved by sandwiching the BP layers between the top and bottom hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) layers; top hBN passivating the BP layer from the environment and bottom hBN acting as a spacer and suppressing charge transfer to the BP layer from the SiO₂ substrate. The embedded via‐metal electrodes allow the authors to perform reliable electrical measurements of the BP FETs. Based on these results, it is found that the electronic properties of the via‐encapsulated BP FETs are significantly improved compared to unencapsulated devices. This further establishes that the via‐contacting scheme leads to superior results compared to graphene‐hBN heterostructures and bare hBN layers combined with evaporated metal contacts (both use top and bottom hBN to encapsulate BP) by revealing higher mobility, lower hysteresis, and long‐term ambient‐stability in BP FETs.