Diffusion-Mediated Synthesis of MoS2/WS2 Lateral Heterostructures

Novel structured transition metal dichalcogenide nanosheets

Ultrathin two-dimensional (2D) layered transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have attracted considerable attention owing to their unique properties and great potential in a wide range of applications. Great efforts have been devoted to the preparation of novel-structured TMD nanosheets by engineering their intrinsic structures at the atomic scale. Until now, a lot of new-structured TMD nanosheets, such as vacancy-containing TMDs, heteroatom-doped TMDs, TMD alloys, 1T'/1T phase and in-plane TMD crystal-phase heterostructures, TMD heterostructures and Janus TMD nanosheets, have been prepared. These materials exhibit unique properties and hold great promise in various applications, including electronics/optoelectronics, thermoelectrics, catalysis, energy storage and conversion and biomedicine. This review focuses on the most recent important discoveries in the preparation, characterization and application of these new-structured ultrathin 2D layered TMDs.

Synthesis of In-Plane Artificial Lattices of Monolayer Multijunctions

Recently, monolayers of van der Waals materials, including transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), are considered ideal building blocks for constructing 2D artificial lattices and heterostructures. Heterostructures with multijunctions of more than two monolayer TMDs are intriguing for exploring new physics and materials properties. Obtaining in-plane heterojunctions of monolayer TMDs with atomically sharp interfaces is very significant for fundamental research and applications. Currently, multistep synthesis for more than two monolayer TMDs remains a challenge because decomposition or compositional alloying is thermodynamically favored at the high growth temperature. Here, a multistep chemical vapor deposition (CVD) synthesis of the in-plane multijunctions of monolayer TMDs is presented. A low growth temperature synthesis is developed to avoid compositional fluctuations of as-grown TMDs, defects formations, and interfacial alloying for high heterointerface quality and thermal stability of monolayer TMDs. With optimized parameters, atomically sharp interfaces are successfully achieved in the synthesis of in-plane artificial lattices of the WS₂ /WSe₂ /MoS₂ at reduced growth temperatures. Growth behaviors as well as the heterointerface quality are carefully studied in varying growth parameters. Highly oriented strain patterns are found in the second harmonic generation imaging of the TMD multijunctions, suggesting that the in-plane heteroepitaxial growth may induce distortion for unique material symmetry.

Straintronics in two-dimensional in-plane heterostructures of transition-metal dichalcogenides

For in-plane heterostructures between 2D transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), namely, MoSe₂/MoS₂, MoS₂/MoSe₂, WSe₂/MoS₂ and MoS₂/WSe₂, intrinsic strain can be introduced resulting from lattice mismatch between two constituents, which significantly influences electronic properties (straintronics). Intrinsic strain can reduce or decrease the coupling strength between nonmetal p and metal d orbitals, and therefore modifies the splitting between bonding and antibonding states at the high-symmetry k-points. In this case, relative upward or downward shift of band edge at specific k-points leads to band gap reduction or enhancement and the indirect-direct band gap transition. Upon consideration of spin-orbit coupling (SOC) effects, energy splitting in valence bands will further shift the band edge at a specific k-point, and changes the band gap nature, such as indirect-direct band gap transition. It is of interest that intense states hybridization exists within the interline region, and therefore band alignments for in-plane heterostructures of 2D TMDs should be reconsidered, which is crucial for transport and optical features. In addition, states hybridization plays a role in the amplitude of band edge shift since individual 2D TMDs present different resistance to the strain. However, we found that intrinsic strain has no effects on the SOC-induced energy splitting in valence bands of these in-plane heterostructures, while the extent of states hybridization determines the magnitude of energy splitting. In addition, charge transfer across the interline also has effects on the band gap. In the presence of strain, the bonding strength of two 2D TMDs is reduced.

van der Waals Layered Materials: Opportunities and Challenges

Since graphene became available by a scotch tape technique, a vast class of two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) layered materials has been researched intensively. What is more intriguing is that the well-known physics and chemistry of three-dimensional (3D) bulk materials are often irrelevant, revealing exotic phenomena in 2D vdW materials. By further constructing heterostructures of these materials in the planar and vertical directions, which can be easily achieved via simple exfoliation techniques, numerous quantum mechanical devices have been demonstrated for fundamental research and technological applications. It is, therefore, necessary to review the special features in 2D vdW materials and to discuss the remaining issues and challenges. Here, we review the vdW materials library, technology relevance, and specialties of vdW materials covering the vdW interaction, strong Coulomb interaction, layer dependence, dielectric screening engineering, work function modulation, phase engineering, heterostructures, stability, growth issues, and the remaining challenges.

Telluriding monolayer MoS2 and WS2 via alkali metal scooter

The conversion of chalcogen atoms to other types in transition metal dichalcogenides has significant advantages for tuning bandgaps and constructing in-plane heterojunctions; however, difficulty arises from the conversion of sulfur or selenium to tellurium atoms owing to the low decomposition temperature of tellurides. Here, we propose the use of sodium for converting monolayer molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) to molybdenum ditelluride (MoTe₂) under Te-rich vapors. Sodium easily anchors tellurium and reduces the exchange barrier energy by scooting the tellurium to replace sulfur. The conversion was initiated at the edges and grain boundaries of MoS₂, followed by complete conversion in the entire region. By controlling sodium concentration and reaction temperature of monolayer MoS₂, we tailored various phases such as semiconducting 2H-MoTe₂, metallic 1T′-MoTe₂, and 2H-MoS_2−xTe_x alloys. This concept was further extended to WS₂. A high valley polarization of ~37% in circularly polarized photoluminescence was obtained in the monolayer WS_2−xTe_x alloy at room temperature.

Two dimensional monolayer transition metal ditellurides and their alloys are interesting but their growth has been difficult. Herein, Yun et al. demonstrate the use of sodium salts to convert transition metal disulfide to ditelluride and alloys in tellurium vapor at low temperature.

Tailoring Semiconductor Lateral Multijunctions for Giant Photoconductivity Enhancement

Semiconductor heterostructures have played a critical role as the enabler for new science and technology. The emergence of transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) as atomically thin semiconductors has opened new frontiers in semiconductor heterostructures either by stacking different TMDs to form vertical heterojunctions or by stitching them laterally to form lateral heterojunctions via direct growth. In conventional semiconductor heterostructures, the design of multijunctions is critical to achieve carrier confinement. Analogously, successful synthesis of a monolayer WS₂ /WS_2(1-x) Se_2x /WS₂ multijunction lateral heterostructure via direct growth by chemical vapor deposition is reported. The grown structures are characterized by Raman, photoluminescence, and annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy to determine their lateral compositional profile. More importantly, using microwave impedance microscopy, it is demonstrated that the local photoconductivity in the alloy region can be tailored and enhanced by two orders of magnitude over pure WS₂ . Finite element analysis confirms that this effect is due to the carrier diffusion and confinement into the alloy region. This work exemplifies the technological potential of atomically thin lateral heterostructures in optoelectronic applications.

Ultrathin Two-Dimensional Multinary Layered Metal Chalcogenide Nanomaterials

Ultrathin two-dimensional (2D) layered transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), such as MoS₂ , WS₂ , TiS₂ , TaS₂ , ReS₂ , MoSe₂ and WSe₂ , have attracted considerable attention over the past six years owing to their unique properties and great potential in a wide range of applications. Aiming to achieve tunable properties and optimal application performances, great effort is devoted to the exploration of 2D multinary layered metal chalcogenide nanomaterials, which include ternary metal chalcogenides with well-defined crystal structures, alloyed TMDs, heteroatom-doped TMDs and 2D metal chalcogenide heteronanostructures. These novel 2D multinary layered metal chalcogenide nanomaterials exhibit some unique properties compared to 2D binary TMD counterparts, thus holding great promise in various potential applications including electronics/optoelectronics, catalysis, sensors, biomedicine, and energy storage and conversion with enhanced performances. This article focuses on the state-of-art progress on the preparation, characterization and applications of ultrathin 2D multinary layered metal chalcogenide nanomaterials.

Synthesis and Physical Properties of Phase-Engineered Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Monolayer Heterostructures

Heterostructures of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) offer the attractive prospect of combining distinct physical properties derived from different TMD structures. Here, we report direct chemical vapor deposition of in-plane monolayer heterostructures based on 1H-MoS₂ and 1T'-MoTe₂. The large lattice mismatch between these materials led to intriguing phenomena at their interface. Atomic force microscopy indicated buckling in the 1H region. Tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy showed mode structure consistent with Te substitution in the 1H region during 1T'-MoTe₂ growth. This was confirmed by atomic resolution transmission electron microscopy, which also revealed an atomically stitched, dislocation-free 1H/1T' interface. Theoretical modeling revealed that both the buckling and absence of interfacial misfit dislocations were explained by lateral gradients in Te substitution levels within the 1H region and elastic coupling between 1H and 1T' domains. Phase field simulations predicted 1T' morphologies with spike-shaped islands at specific orientations consistent with experiments. Electrical measurements across the heterostructure confirmed its electrical continuity. This work demonstrates the feasibility of dislocation-free stitching of two different atomic configurations and a pathway toward direct synthesis of monolayer TMD heterostructures of different phases.

Strain-Mediated Interlayer Coupling Effects on the Excitonic Behaviors in an Epitaxially Grown MoS2/WS2 van der Waals Heterobilayer

van der Waals heterostructures composed of two different monolayer crystals have recently attracted attention as a powerful and versatile platform for studying fundamental physics, as well as having great potential in future functional devices because of the diversity in the band alignments and the unique interlayer coupling that occurs at the heterojunction interface. However, despite these attractive features, a fundamental understanding of the underlying physics accounting for the effect of interlayer coupling on the interactions between electrons, photons, and phonons in the stacked heterobilayer is still lacking. Here, we demonstrate a detailed analysis of the strain-dependent excitonic behavior of an epitaxially grown MoS₂/WS₂ vertical heterostructure under uniaxial tensile and compressive strain that enables the interlayer interactions to be modulated along with the electronic band structure. We find that the strain-modulated interlayer coupling directly affects the characteristic combined vibrational and excitonic properties of each monolayer in the heterobilayer. It is further revealed that the relative photoluminescence intensity ratio of WS₂ to MoS₂ in our heterobilayer increases monotonically with tensile strain and decreases with compressive strain. We attribute the strain-dependent emission behavior of the heterobilayer to the modulation of the band structure for each monolayer, which is dictated by the alterations in the band gap transitions. These findings present an important pathway toward designing heterostructures and flexible devices.

Temperature-Dependent Two-Dimensional Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Heterostructures: Controlled Synthesis and Their Properties

Vertically stacked and laterally stitched heterostructures consisting of two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are predicted to possess novel electronic and optical properties, which offer opportunities for the development of next-generation electronic and optoelectronic devices. In the present work, we report the temperature-dependent synthesis of 2D TMDC heterostructures on Si/SiO₂ substrates, including MoS₂-WS₂, WS₂-MoS₂-WS₂, Mo_1-xW_xS₂-WS₂, and Mo_1-xW_xS₂ alloyed bilayer heterostructures by ambient pressure chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Raman and photoluminescence mapping studies demonstrate that the as-produced heterostructures show distinct structural and optical modulation. Our results indicate that the evolution of various 2D heterostructures originates from the competition between the adsorption and desorption of Mo atoms and the diffusion of W atoms under various growth temperatures. This work sheds light on the design and fabrication of heterostructures using controllable interfaces and junctions of diverse TMDC atomic layers.

NaCl-assisted one-step growth of MoS2-WS2 in-plane heterostructures

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have attracted considerable interest for exploration of next-generation electronics and optoelectronics in recent years. Fabrication of in-plane lateral heterostructures between TMDs has opened up excellent opportunities for engineering two-dimensional materials. The creation of high quality heterostructures with a facile method is highly desirable but it still remains challenging. In this work, we demonstrate a one-step growth method for the construction of high-quality MoS₂-WS₂ in-plane heterostructures. The synthesis was carried out using ambient pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD) with the assistance of sodium chloride (NaCl). It was found that the addition of NaCl played a key role in lowering the growth temperatures, in which the Na-containing precursors could be formed and condensed on the substrates to reduce the energy of the reaction. As a result, the growth regimes of MoS₂ and WS₂ are better matched, leading to the formation of in-plane heterostructures in a single step. The heterostructures were proved to be of high quality with a sharp and clear interface. This newly developed strategy with the assistance of NaCl is promising for synthesizing other TMDs and their heterostructures.

One-dimensional electron gas in strained lateral heterostructures of single layer materials

Confinement of the electron gas along one of the spatial directions opens an avenue for studying fundamentals of quantum transport along the side of numerous practical electronic applications, with high-electron-mobility transistors being a prominent example. A heterojunction of two materials with dissimilar electronic polarisation can be used for engineering of the conducting channel. Extension of this concept to single-layer materials leads to one-dimensional electron gas (1DEG). MoS₂/WS₂ lateral heterostructure is used as a prototype for the realisation of 1DEG. The electronic polarisation discontinuity is achieved by straining the heterojunction taking advantage of dissimilarities in the piezoelectric coupling between MoS₂ and WS₂. A complete theory that describes an induced electric field profile in lateral heterojunctions of two-dimensional materials is proposed and verified by first principle calculations.

Composition- and phase-controlled synthesis and applications of alloyed phase heterostructures of transition metal disulphides

The facile tuning of the composition and structures of two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) nanosheets is essential for improving their performance in various applications, but remains difficult to realize via a direct solution process. Here, we report the one-step liquid-phase preparation of alloyed Mo_1-χW_χS₂ nanosheets with tunable 1T/2H phase ratios. These alloyed nanosheets showed composition- and phase-dependent electrochemical and electronic properties. By tuning the Mo/W ratio, an optimized combination of high-density active sites for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and low charge transfer resistance can be achieved. Additionally, due to the formation of 1T/2H (metal/semiconductor) heterojunctions, the alloyed TMD nanosheets with an optimized 1T concentration exhibited much enhanced gas sensing capability compared to the highly metallic nanosheets or the annealed semiconducting nanosheets with the same chemical composition. Our findings suggest that the ability to tune the composition and crystal structures of 2D materials via a facile one-pot solution process may provide more opportunities to control their functional properties and thus widens their range of practical applications.

Electronic structures and transport properties of a MoS2–NbS2 nanoribbon lateral heterostructure

A theoretical study on a transition metal dichalcogenide one-dimensional nanoribbon lateral heterostructure for nanoelectronics with low energy consumption.