Integration, Stability, and Doping of Mono-Elemental and Binary Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Van der Waals Solids for Electronics and Sensing Devices
Authors:   , Mehta Ravindra K 
Published: January 2025

In this work, we have explored 2D semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), black phosphorus (BP), and graphene for various applications using liquid and mechanical exfoliation routes. The topical areas of interest that motivate our work include considering factors such as device integration, stability, doping, and the effect of gasses to modulate the electronic transport characteristics of the underlying 2D materials. In the first area, we have integrated solution-processed transparent conducting oxides (TCOs), specifically indium-doped tin oxide (ITO) with BP, which is a commonly used TCO for solar cell devices. Here we have found surface treatment of glass substrates with a plasma before spin-coating the solution-processed ITO, to be effective in improving coverage and uniformity of the ITO film by promoting wettability and film adhesion. The maximum transmittance obtained was measured to be ~75% in the visible region, while electrical measurements made on BP/ITO heterostructures showed improved transport characteristics compared to the bare ITO film. Within the integration realm, inkjet-printing of BP and MoS2 p-n hetero-junctions on standard ITO glass substrates in a vertical architecture was also demonstrated. To address the issue of stability which some 2D materials such as BP face, we experimented with ionic liquids (ILs) to passivation the hydrophilic surface of BP to minimize its oxidative degradation. The enhanced stability of BP was inferred through Raman spectroscopy and scanning probe microscopy techniques, where no observable changes in the A1g and A2g Raman vibrational modes were observed for the BP films passivated with ILs over time under ambient conditions. On the other hand, a blue-shift in these Raman modes was evident for unpassivated samples. Atomic force microscopy measurements on the unpassivated samples clearly revealed the difference in surface characteristics through localized regions of degradation that intensified with time which was absent in IL passivated BP samples. The electronic device measurements for IL coated BP devices showed a more stabilized Ids−Vds characteristic in the 5.4 K to 335 K temperature range. Prototypical demonstrations of stabilized ILs/BP devices at ambient printed on flexible polyimide substrates were also successfully made. At the same time, doping is one of the essential steps required for the modulation of carrier density and electronic transport in electronic and optoelectronic devices, which is the third topical area we have addressed in this work with semiconducting TMDs. Of the conventional approaches used to dope 3D semiconductors, ion-implantation is commonly adopted but given the ultra-thin nature of 2D materials, this approach is not feasible as it causes severe damage to the delicate crystalline lattice of ultra-thin 2D membranes. Instead, we have used plasma-based doping routes with UV-ozone treatement and solution processing using 1,2 dichloroethane, to characterize the temperature-dependent two-terminal and three-terminal electronic and optoelectronic transport of mechanically exfoliated 2D MoS2 and WSe2. A significant difference was seen in the optoelectronic properties between the two dopants, owing to differences in their respective doping mechanisms and the intrinsic structural attributes of the exfoliated flakes. A significant reduction in barrier height was evident after doping using both techniques in MoS2, while an increase in barrier height after soaking in 1,2 dichloroethane was seen in WSe2. Lastly, in the fourth topical area for sensing devices, we have studied the effect of gas-flow in inkjet-printed and spin-coated graphene and MoS2 to modulate the electronic transport for the 2D materials since their increased surface area is an ideal platform to observe interactions with external stimuli, in this case, in-coming gas species. Here, the chamber pressure and change in current with flow of gas was measured in the steady-state, as well as time-dependent dynamic transport toward nitrogen and carbon dioxide. We observed significant differences in the electrical response of mono-elemental graphene and binary MoS2, owing to differences in microstructure and joule heating response to the ambient gas. In conclusion, the findings obtained from our work will provide an important framework to help guide strategies in further improving integration schemes, stability, doping and sensing behavior driven by the unique structural attributes inherent to 2D materials for high-performance devices in the future.