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arXiv · 2509.10228

Anomalous Electrical Transport in SnSe$_2$ Nanosheets: Role of Thickness and Surface Defect States

Abstract

This work examines the influence of thickness on the electrical transport properties of mechanically exfoliated two-dimensional SnSe$_2$ nanosheets, derived from the bulk single crystal. Contrary to conventional trend observed in two-dimensional systems, we find a semiconducting to metallic resistivity behavior with decreasing thickness. The analysis of low-temperature conduction indicates an increased density of states at Fermi-level with decreasing thickness, which is further corroborated by gate bias dependent conductance measurement. The enhanced conductivity in thinner flake is attributed to the n-type doping arising from surface defect states. The presence and evolution of these defect states with thickness is probed by thickness-dependent room-temperature Raman spectroscopy. Our study provides insights into the thickness-dependent electronic transport mechanism of SnSe$_2$ and the crucial role of defect states in governing the observed conductivity behavior.

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Aarti Lakhara, Lars Thole, Rolf J. Haug, P. A. Bhobe. 2025-09-12. Anomalous Electrical Transport in SnSe$_2$ Nanosheets: Role of Thickness and Surface Defect States. https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.10228

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