Zhongda Team Achieves Controlled Preparation of Large-Area Bi2O2Te Crystal Films - Sun Yat-sen University News Website
**Abstract:** A research team from the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Sun Yat-sen University, led by Associate Professor Yong Sun and Professor Chengxin Wang, has achieved a significant breakthrough in the controlled preparation of large-area Bi2O2Te crystal films. Conventional materials exhibit a low magnetoresistance ratio that tends to saturate at high magnetic fields due to the Lorentz force effect. In contrast, two-dimensional quantum materials, which display non-saturating linear magnetoresistance, are of great interest for their potential applications in magnetic sensing and storage devices, making them a focal point in current condensed matter physics research. Non-saturating linear magnetoresistance has been observed in various materials, including graphene, Dirac semimetals, and topological insulators, with theoretical explanations attributed to the PL model (classical model) and quantum models. The discovery of Bi2O2Se by a team at Peking University in 2017 has made this material a new research hotspot following graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides. Bi2O2Se has shown promise in applications such as ultra-sensitive broadband photodetectors, high-performance transistors with in-situ high-k gate control, and high-speed memristors, while also establishing a foundation for large-scale preparation. Bi2O2Te, a homologous compound of Bi2O2Se, is theoretically predicted to possess similar excellent physical properties, but experimental reports have been limited due to the challenges in its preparation. In 2022, the Sun Yat-sen University team, after nearly a year of experimental exploration, successfully prepared high-quality two-dimensional Bi2O2Te single-crystal structures for the first time. They observed anisotropic magnetoresistance effects and confirmed the intrinsic ferroelectricity predicted by theory (ACS Nano 2022, 16, 19543). Additionally, they developed an in-situ air thermal oxidation process for growing high-k oxide layers (Adv. Funct. Mater. 2023, 33, 2213807). To further advance the practical application of Bi2O2Te in microelectronics and optoelectronics, the team has optimized and designed experimental conditions to achieve the controlled preparation of large-area Bi2O2Te crystal films of varying thicknesses. They combined micro-nano fabrication and wet chemical etching to pattern the film samples (Fig. 1a-b). Spectroscopic and electrical characterizations confirmed the uniform quality of the samples (Fig. 1c-f). Standard Hall bar device tests at low temperatures revealed ultra-high electron mobility (45074 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ at 2 K), two-dimensional transport characteristics (Fig. 2d-f), large linear magnetoresistance (~1345%), and significant Shubnikov-de Haas quantum oscillations (Fig. 2b-c). Systematic transport tests indicated that the linear magnetoresistance behavior aligns with the classical model dominated by mobility fluctuations. These findings validate the feasibility of scalable preparation and integrated application of Bi2O2Te, paving the way for its broader use in advanced microelectronic and optoelectronic devices. The research is published in the journal *Nano Letters* under the title "Nonsaturating Linear Magnetoresistance Manifesting Two-Dimensional Transport in Wet-Chemical Patternable Bi2O2Te Thin Film." Xiangbin Zou, a direct PhD student from the 2020 cohort, is the first author, and Prof. Chengxin Wang and Assoc. Prof. Yong Sun are the corresponding authors. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Guangdong Provincial Natural Science Foundation. **Key Events:** - 2022: First successful preparation of high-quality two-dimensional Bi2O2Te single-crystal structures by the Sun Yat-sen University team. - 2023: Controlled preparation of large-area Bi2O2Te crystal films of varying thicknesses, along with the development of air thermal oxidation for high-k oxide layers. - Recent: Publication of the research findings in *Nano Letters*. **Key People:** - Yong Sun, Associate Professor at Sun Yat-sen University. - Chengxin Wang, Professor at Sun Yat-sen University. - Xiangbin Zou, First author and direct PhD student from the 2020 cohort. **Key Locations:** - Sun Yat-sen University, School of Materials Science and Engineering. - Peking University (for the initial discovery of Bi2O2Se). **Time Elements:** - 2017: Discovery of Bi2O2Se by Peking University. - 2022: Initial successful preparation of Bi2O2Te by Sun Yat-sen University. - 2023: Development of large-area Bi2O2Te crystal films and high-k oxide layers. - Recent: Publication of the research results. This summary provides a concise overview of the key findings, people, locations, and time elements involved in the research on Bi2O2Te crystal films, highlighting the potential implications for the field of microelectronics and optoelectronics.
