Toward Ferroelectric Control of Monolayer MoS2

Nano Lett. 2015 May 13;15(5):3364-9. doi: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b00687. Epub 2015 Apr 30.

Abstract

The chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) single-layer films onto periodically poled lithium niobate is possible while maintaining the substrate polarization pattern. The MoS2 growth exhibits a preference for the ferroelectric domains polarized "up" with respect to the surface so that the MoS2 film may be templated by the substrate ferroelectric polarization pattern without the need for further lithography. MoS2 monolayers preserve the surface polarization of the "up" domains, while slightly quenching the surface polarization on the "down" domains as revealed by piezoresponse force microscopy. Electrical transport measurements suggest changes in the dominant carrier for CVD MoS2 under application of an external voltage, depending on the domain orientation of the ferroelectric substrate. Such sensitivity to ferroelectric substrate polarization opens the possibility for ferroelectric nonvolatile gating of transition metal dichalcogenides in scalable devices fabricated free of exfoliation and transfer.

Keywords: CVD growth on oxides; ferroelectric surface polarization; selective area growth; transition metal dichalcogenides on ferroelectrics.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.