Zixu Sa, Kepeng Song, You Meng, Wenfeng Wu, Zhaocong Wang, Pengsheng Li, Jie Zhang, Zeqi Zang, Guangcan Wang, Mingxu Wang, Zhitai Jia Zhitai Jia, Yang Tan, Weifeng Li, SenPo Yip, Feng Chen, Johnny C. Ho, Zai-xing Yang
Abstract Current crystalline thin-film production techniques typically require specific growth substrates, posing significant challenges for their use in flexible electronics and integrated optoelectronics. In response to these challenges, we introduce a novel method called ‘induced fit growth’, inspired by the induced fit theory in molecular biology. This method overcomes the limitations of current techniques by enabling the deposition of Ga-based semiconductor films, including GaSb, GaSe, GaAs, and GaAsSb, with controllable thickness and morphology on arbitrary substrates. Utilizing a low-cost, wafer-scale vapor deposition process compatible with standard semiconductor procedures, these Ga-based films can be patterned for various functional applications. For example, the patterned Ga-based thin films exhibit broad applicability in p-channel transistor arrays (with hole mobility of 0.25 cm 2 V⁻ 1 s⁻ 1 ), functional synaptic devices, and flexible omnidirectional imaging sensors (maintaining functionality at incident angles as low as 5°). Overall, the proposed induced fit growth method facilitates the growth of Ga-based semiconductor films with greater integration flexibility, enhancing their advanced functionality and broad applicability.