Photoelectric characteristics of rare earth element Eu-doped MoS2 thin films

We present the influences of rare earth element Eu3+ doping on the photoelectric characteristics of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) films deposited on p-Si substrates using vapor deposition method. The surface topography, crystalline structure, light absorption, and luminescence properties of Eu3+ doped and undoped MoS2 thin films were investigated in detail. We found that the Eu3+ doped MoS2 films have better crystallinity, and their electron mobility and conductivity are approximately one order of magnitude higher than those of the undoped films. In addition, we observed that the light absorption and photoluminescence intensities of the doped films in the visible light range, they were enhanced by approximately two orders of magnitude than those of the undoped MoS2 films at room temperature. Moreover, we found that the photoelectric response characteristics of the doped MoS2∕Si heterojunction improved significantly. The results show that the Eu3+ doped MoS2 films can be used to fabricate high efficiency luminescent and optoelectronic devices.