Crystalline–Crystalline Phase Transformation in Two-Dimensional In2Se3 Thin Layers

We report, for the first time, the fabrication of single-crystal In2Se3 thin layers using mechanical exfoliation and studies of crystalline-crystalline (α → β) phase transformations as well as the corresponding changes of the electrical properties in these thin layers. Particularly, using electron microscopy and correlative in situ micro-Raman and electrical measurements, we show that, in contrast to bulk single crystals, the β phase can persist in single-crystal thin layers at room temperature (RT). The single-crystal nature of the layers before and after the phase transition allows for unambiguous determination of changes in the electrical resistivity. Specifically, the β phase has an electrical resistivity about 1-2 orders of magnitude lower than the α phase. Furthermore, we find that the temperature of the α → β phase transformation increases by as much as 130 K with the layer thickness decreasing from ~87 nm to ~4 nm. These single-crystal thin layers are ideal for studying the scaling behavior of the phase transformations and associated changes of the electrical properties. For these In2Se3 thin layers, the accessibility of the β phase at RT, with distinct electrical properties than the α phase, provides the basis for multilevel phase-change memories in a single material system.