Anisotropic Superconducting Nb2 CTx MXene Processed by Atomic Exchange at the Wafer Scale

Abstract

Superconductivty has recently been induced in MXenes through surface modification. However, the previous reports have mostly been based on powders or cold-pressed pellets, with no known reports on the intrinsic superconsucting properties of MXenes at the nanoale. Here, it is developed a high-temperature atomic exchange process in NH₃ atmosphere which induces superconductivity in either singleflakes or thin films of Nb₂ CT_x MXene. The exchange process between nitrogen atoms and fluorine, carbon, and oxygen atoms in the MXene lattice and related structural adjustments are studied using both experiments and density functional theory. Using either single-flake or thin-film devices, an anisotropic magnetic response of the 2D superconducting transformation has been successfully revealed. The anisotropic superconductivity is further demonstrated using superconducting thin films uniformly deposited over a 4 in. wafers, which opens up the possibility of scalable MXene-based superconducting devices.

Keywords: Nb2CTx MXene; anisotropy; atomic exchange; superconductivity; wafer scale.