Realizing Negative Differential Resistance/Switching Phenomena in Zigzag GaN Nanoribbons by Edge Fluorination: A DFT Investigation

Abstract Gallium nitride (GaN) is a commonly used material for the high power electronic devices. Its 2D analog (layered GaN) can be a promising material in low power applications due to its flexible bandgap. This study investigates the structural stability, electronic and transport properties of zigzag edged GaN nanoribbons (ZGaNNRs), considering various edge passivations to gauge its potential for beyond silicon electronic devices. Present density functional theory based calculations reveal that metallic/semiconducting nature can be obtained in ZGaNNRs via controlled edge fluorination. Interestingly, F passivated ZGaNNRs are found to be most stable, making them preferable for practical applications. The proposed two terminal device exhibits a negative differential resistance behavior/switching characteristic with sufficiently large peak to valley current ratio/threshold voltage on the order of 102–1014/2.8–3.6 V which is a function of selective edge passivation. Present results can find practical applications in oscillators, memory circuits, and fast switching devices.