MoS2 Field-effect Transistors Research Articles

One‐Step Van der Waals Integration of Multi‐Threshold 2D Functional Circuits

AbstractTransition‐metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), as atomically thin semiconductors, have shown immense promise for next‐generation electronics due to their high mobility and potential for creating van der Waals heterostructures. However, precise control of the threshold voltage (Vth) in field‐effect transistors (FETs) remains a significant challenge, impeding the development of 2D material circuits with tailored electronic functions. Herein, a graphene‐assisted one‐step van der Waals integration technique is presented for fabricating multi‐threshold 2D functional circuits. Graphene's unique property of having a surface without dangling bonds is utilized as an intermediary layer, allowing for the transfer of electrodes with various work functions and high‐κ dielectric layers onto 2D channel materials in a single step. This technique has successfully produced Al‐gated MoS2 FETs with a Vth of −0.2 V and Au‐gated MoS2 FETs with a Vth of 1.9 V. This precision enables the development of functional devices such as rail‐to‐rail inverters with large noise margins. Furthermore, more complex multi‐threshold 2D circuits are achieved, including basic logic gates (NOT, NAND, NOR), six‐transistor static random‐access memory (6T‐SRAM), and ring oscillators (RO). This work showcases a scalable and effective strategy for threshold voltage engineering in 2D material‐based circuits, paving the way for sophisticated electronic and optoelectronic applications.

Improved Thermal Dissipation in a MoS2 Field-Effect Transistor by Hybrid High-k Dielectric Layers.

Transition metal dichalcogenides like MoS2 have been considered as crucial channel materials beyond silicon to continuously advance transistor scaling down owing to their two-dimensional structure and exceptional electrical properties. However, the undesirable interface morphology and vibrational phonon frequency mismatch between MoS2 and the dielectric layer induce low thermal boundary conductance, resulting in overheating issues and impeding electrical performance improvement in the MoS2 field-effect transistors. Here, we employed hybrid high-k dielectric layers of Al2O3/HfO2 to simultaneously reduce the interfacial thermal resistance and improve device electrical performance. The enhanced contact, greater vibrational phonon overlapping region, and stronger interfacial bonding force between the top Al2O3 layer and MoS2 promote the heat removal efficiency across the interface to the substrate. Under the same input power density, the temperature profile of the MoS2 transistor on the Al2O3/HfO2 has been largely reduced compared to that of the device on HfO2, with a maximum reduction of 49.5 °C. In addition, the field-effect mobility and current of MoS2 devices on the Al2O3/HfO2 high-k dielectric layers have been significantly improved, attributed to the depressed electron scattering and trap states at the interface. The design of the hybrid high-k dielectric layers provides an efficient solution to simultaneously improve the thermal and electrical performance of the two-dimensional devices.

Device simulation study of multilayer MoS2 Schottky barrier field-effect transistors

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is a representative two-dimensional layered transition-metal dichalcogenide semiconductor. Layer-number-dependent electronic properties are attractive in the development of nanomaterial-based electronics for a wide range of applications including sensors, switches, and amplifiers. MoS2field-effect transistors (FETs) have been studied as promising future nanoelectronic devices with desirable features of atomic-level thickness and high electrical properties. When a naturallyn-doped MoS2is contacted with metals, a strong Fermi-level pinning effect adjusts a Schottky barrier and influences its electronic characteristics significantly. In this study, we investigate multilayer MoS2Schottky barrier FETs (SBFETs), emphasizing the metal-contact impact on device performance via computational device modeling. We find thatp-type MoS2SBFETs may be built with appropriate metals and gate voltage control. Furthermore, we propose ambipolar multilayer MoS2SBFETs with asymmetric metal electrodes, which exhibit gate-voltage dependent ambipolar transport behavior through optimizing metal contacts in MoS2device. Introducing a dual-split gate geometry, the MoS2SBFETs can further operate in four distinct configurations:p - p,n - n,p - n, andn - p. Electrical characteristics are calculated, and improved performance of a high rectification ratio can be feasible as an attractive feature for efficient electrical and photonic devices.

Low-Symmetry Van der Waals Dielectric GaInS3 Triggered 2D MoS2 Giant Anisotropy via Symmetry Engineering.

Low-symmetry structures in van der Waals materials have facilitated the advancement of anisotropic electronic and optoelectronic devices. However, the intrinsic low symmetry structure exhibits a small adjustable anisotropy ratio (1-10), which hinders its further assembly and processing into high-performance devices. Here, a novel 2D anisotropic dielectric, GaInS3 (GIS), which induces isotropic MoS2 to exhibit significant anisotropic optical and electrical responses is demonstrated. With the excellent gate modulation ability of 2D GIS (dielectric constant k ∼12), MoS2 field effect transistor (FET) shows an adjustable conductance ratio from isotropic to anisotropic under dual-gate modulation, up to 106. Theoretical calculations indicate that anisotropy originates from lattice mismatch-induced charge density deformation at the interface. Moreover, the MoS2/GIS photodetector demonstrates high responsivity (≈4750 A W-1) and a large dichroic ratio (≈167). The anisotropic van der Waals dielectric GIS paves the way for the development of 2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) in the fields of anisotropic photonics, electronics, and optoelectronics.

Back-side stress to ease p-MOSFET degradation on e-MRAM chips

Abstract The magnetoresistive random access memory process makes a great contribution to threshold voltage deterioration of metal–oxide–silicon field-effect transistors, especially on p-type devices. Herein, a method was proposed to reduce the threshold voltage degradation by utilizing back-side stress. Through the deposition of tensile material on the back side, positive charges generated by silicon–hydrogen bond breakage were inhibited, resulting in a potential reduction in threshold voltage shift by up to 20%. In addition, it was found that the method could only relieve silicon–hydrogen bond breakage physically, thus failing to provide a complete cure. However, it holds significant potential for applications where additional thermal budget is undesired. Furthermore, it was also concluded that the method used in this work is irreversible, with its effect sustained to the chip package phase, and it ensures competitive reliability of the resulting magnetic tunnel junction devices.

Characterization of bulk trap density using fully I–V-based optoelectronic differential ideality factor in multi-layer MoS2 FETs

Abstract Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) has excellent optoelectronic properties, chemical stability, and a two-dimensional (2D) structure, making MoS2 a very versatile field-effect device material. Herein, we characterize MoS2 and utilize a photo-responsive I–V technique for extracting the energy distribution of the bulk traps in multi-layer MoS2 field effect transistors (FET). This method uses the differential ideality factor in both dark and light conditions. The differential ideality factor enables the efficient quantitative extraction of the device trap density by considering the nonlinear characteristics of the subthreshold region (V ON < V GS < V T). To accurately differentiate between the sub-bandgap traps and the interface traps near the conduction band, near-infrared light (λ= 1530 nm) optical illumination was used for the light state characterization. The bulk trap densities under dark state and light state conditions were derived for multi-layer (7-layer and 9-layer) MoS2 FET channels, and the influence of light illumination and overall multi-layer thickness on the bulk trap density was confirmed. The accurate extraction of the trap density enables the design of MoS2 FETs with long-term stability and high optoelectronic performance.

Enhancing the Performance of MoS2 Field-Effect Transistors Using Self-Assembled Monolayers: A Promising Strategy to Alleviate Dielectric Layer Scattering and Improve Device Performance.

Field-effect transistors (FETs) based on two-dimensional molybdenum disulfide (2D-MoS2) have great potential in electronic and optoelectronic applications, but the performances of these devices still face challenges such as scattering at the contact interface, which results in reduced mobility. In this work, we fabricated high-performance MoS2-FETs by inserting self-assembling monolayers (SAMs) between MoS2 and a SiO2 dielectric layer. The interface properties of MoS2/SiO2 were studied after the inductions of three different SAM structures including (perfluorophenyl)methyl phosphonic acid (PFPA), (4-aminobutyl) phosphonic acid (ABPA), and octadecylphosphonic acid (ODPA). The SiO2/ABPA/MoS2-FET exhibited significantly improved performances with the highest mobility of 528.7 cm2 V-1 s-1, which is 7.5 times that of SiO2/MoS2-FET, and an on/off ratio of ~106. Additionally, we investigated the effects of SAM molecular dipole vectors on device performances using density functional theory (DFT). Moreover, the first-principle calculations showed that ABPA SAMs reduced the frequencies of acoustic and optical phonons in the SiO2 dielectric layer, thereby suppressing the phonon scattering to the MoS2 channel and further improving the device's performance. This work provided a strategy for high-performance MoS2-FET fabrication by improving interface properties.

Tunable Doping Strategy for Few-Layer MoS2 Field-Effect Transistors via NH3 Plasma Treatment.

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is a promising candidate for next-generation transistor channel materials, boasting outstanding electrical properties and ultrathin structure. Conventional ion implantation processes are unsuitable for atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) materials, necessitating nondestructive doping methods. We proposed a novel approach: tunable n-type doping through sulfur vacancies (VS) and p-type doping by nitrogen substitution in MoS2, controlled by the duration of NH3 plasma treatment. Our results reveal that NH3 plasma exposure of 20 s increases the 2D sheet carrier density (n2D) in MoS2 field-effect transistors (FETs) by +4.92 × 1011 cm-2 at a gate bias of 0 V, attributable to sulfur vacancy generation. Conversely, treatment of 40 s reduces n2D by -3.71 × 1011 cm-2 due to increased nitrogen doping. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and photoluminescence analyses corroborate these electrical characterization results, indicating successful n- and p-type doping. Temperature-dependent measurements show that the Schottky barrier height at the metal-semiconductor contact decreases by -31 meV under n-type conditions and increases by +37 meV for p-type doping. This study highlights NH3 plasma treatment as a viable doping method for 2D materials in electronic and optoelectronic device engineering.

Deterministic grayscale nanotopography to engineer mobilities in strained MoS2 FETs

Field-effect transistors (FETs) based on two-dimensional materials (2DMs) with atomically thin channels have emerged as a promising platform for beyond-silicon electronics. However, low carrier mobility in 2DM transistors driven by phonon scattering remains a critical challenge. To address this issue, we propose the controlled introduction of localized tensile strain as an effective means to inhibit electron-phonon scattering in 2DM. Strain is achieved by conformally adhering the 2DM via van der Waals forces to a dielectric layer previously nanoengineered with a gray-tone topography. Our results show that monolayer MoS2 FETs under tensile strain achieve an 8-fold increase in on-state current, reaching mobilities of 185 cm²/Vs at room temperature, in good agreement with theoretical calculations. The present work on nanotopographic grayscale surface engineering and the use of high-quality dielectric materials has the potential to find application in the nanofabrication of photonic and nanoelectronic devices.

Influence of High-κ Dielectrics Integration on ALD-Based MoS2 Field-Effect Transistor Performance.

The integration of high-κ dielectrics on MoS2 field-effect transistors (FETs) is essential for the realization of MoS2 in ultrascaled nanoelectronic devices and circuits. Most studies covering this topic are based on exfoliated MoS2 flakes or chemical vapor deposition (CVD) grown MoS2 films, whereas other techniques, such as atomic layer deposition (ALD), are also gaining attention for the growth of MoS2 in recent years. In this work, we grow large-area MoS2 by means of plasma-enhanced (PE-)ALD and evaluate the influence of high-κ dielectrics on the properties of ALD-based MoS2 FETs through electrical characterization combined with surface-chemical and high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (HR-STEM) analyses. We grow HfO x , AlO x , or both by means of PE-ALD or thermal ALD on our fabricated devices and show that, in addition to the dielectric constant, three other major parameters related to the processing of the dielectrics can simultaneously affect the MoS2 FET electrical characteristics and govern its doping. These parameters are the stoichiometry of the dielectric, its carbon impurity content, and the degree to which the MoS2 surface oxidizes upon the dielectric growth. When grown at 100 °C, our HfO x films are oxygen-vacant whereas our AlO x films are oxygen-rich. In addition, carbon impurities are incorporated into the dielectrics at low deposition temperatures, being one of the likely causes of the MoS2 FET overall n-type performance in all of the studied cases. Our investigations also reveal that PE-ALD of HfO x or AlO x oxidizes the MoS2 surface, whereas thermal ALD AlO x leaves MoS2 almost intact. In this respect, if thermal ALD AlO x of proper thickness is grown between MoS2 and HfO x , it can reduce the degree to which the MoS2 surface oxidizes by HfO x and meanwhile improve the total dielectric constant, altogether leading to the most optimal electrical performance in ALD-based MoS2 FETs.

Gamma-Irradiation-Induced Electrical Characteristic Variations in MoS2 Field-Effect Transistors with Buried Local Back-Gate Structure.

The impact of radiation on MoS2-based devices is an important factor in the utilization of two-dimensional semiconductor-based technology in radiation-sensitive environments. In this study, the effects of gamma irradiation on the electrical variations in MoS2 field-effect transistors with buried local back-gate structures were investigated, and their related effects on Al2O3 gate dielectrics and MoS2/Al2O3 interfaces were also analyzed. The transfer and output characteristics were analyzed before and after irradiation. The current levels decreased by 15.7% under an exposure of 3 kGy. Additionally, positive shifts in the threshold voltages of 0.50, 0.99, and 1.15 V were observed under irradiations of 1, 2, and 3 kGy, respectively, compared to the non-irradiated devices. This behavior is attributable to the comprehensive effects of hole accumulation in the Al2O3 dielectric interface near the MoS2 side and the formation of electron trapping sites at the interface, which increased the electron tunneling at the MoS2 channel/dielectric interface.

Low Contact Resistance on Monolayer MoS2 Field-Effect Transistors Achieved by CMOS-Compatible Metal Contacts.

Contact engineering on monolayer layer (ML) semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) is considered the most challenging problem toward using these materials as a transistor channel in future advanced technology nodes. The typically observed strong Fermi-level pinning induced in part by the reaction of the source/drain contact metal and the ML TMD frequently results in a large Schottky barrier height, which limits the electrical performance of ML TMD field-effect transistors (FETs). However, at a microscopic level, little is known about how interface defects or reaction sites impact the electrical performance of ML TMD FETs. In this work, we have performed statistically meaningful electrical measurements on at least 120 FETs combined with careful surface analysis to unveil contact resistance dependence on interface chemistry. In particular, we achieved a low contact resistance for ML MoS2 FETs with ultrahigh-vacuum (UHV, 3 × 10-11 mbar) deposited Ni contacts, ∼500 Ω·μm, which is 5 times lower than the contact resistance achieved when deposited under high-vacuum (HV, 3 × 10-6 mbar) conditions. These electrical results strongly correlate with our surface analysis observations. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed significant bonding species between Ni and MoS2 under UHV conditions compared to that under HV. We also studied the Bi/MoS2 interface under UHV and HV deposition conditions. Different from the case of Ni, we do not observe a difference in contact resistance or interface chemistry between contacts deposited under UHV and HV. Finally, this article also explores the thermal stability and reliability of the two contact metals employed here.

Single-crystalline metal-oxide dielectrics for top-gate 2D transistors.

Two-dimensional (2D) structures composed of atomically thin materials with high carrier mobility have been studied as candidates for future transistors1-4. However, owing to the unavailability of suitable high-quality dielectrics, 2D field-effect transistors (FETs) cannot attain the full theoretical potential and advantages despite their superior physical and electrical properties3,5,6. Here we demonstrate the fabrication of atomically thin single-crystalline Al2O3 (c-Al2O3) as a high-quality top-gate dielectric in 2D FETs. By using intercalative oxidation techniques, a stable, stoichiometric and atomically thin c-Al2O3 layer with a thickness of 1.25 nm is formed on the single-crystalline Al surface at room temperature. Owing to the favourable crystalline structure and well-defined interfaces, the gate leakage current, interface state density and dielectric strength of c-Al2O3 meet the International Roadmap for Devices and Systems requirements3,5,7. Through a one-step transfer process consisting of the source, drain, dielectric materials and gate, we achieve top-gate MoS2 FETs characterized by a steep subthreshold swing of 61 mV dec-1, high on/off current ratio of 108 and very small hysteresis of 10 mV. This technique and material demonstrate the possibility of producing high-quality single-crystalline oxides suitable for integration into fully scalable advanced 2D FETs, including negative capacitance transistors and spin transistors.

Flexible/Regenerative Nanosensor with Automatic Sweat Collection for Cytokine Storm Biomarker Detection.

The real-time monitoring of low-concentration cytokines such as TNF-α in sweat can aid clinical physicians in assessing the severity of inflammation. The challenges associated with the collection and the presence of impurities can significantly impede the detection of proteins in sweat. This issue is addressed by incorporating a nanosphere array designed for automatic sweat transportation, coupled with a reusable sensor that employs a Nafion/aptamer-modified MoS2 field-effect transistor. The nanosphere array with stepwise wettability enables automatic collection of sweat and blocks impurities from contaminating the detection zone. This device enables direct detection of TNF-α proteins in undiluted sweat, within a detection range of 10 fM to 1 nM. The use of an ultrathin, ultraflexible substrate ensures stable electrical performance, even after up to 30 extreme deformations. The findings indicate that in clinical scenarios, this device could potentially provide real-time evaluation and management of patients' immune status via sweat testing.

Calcium Alginate as an Active Device Component for Light-Triggered Degradation of 2D MoS2-Based Transient Electronics.

Transient electronics technology has enabled the programmed disintegration of functional devices, paving the way for environmentally sustainable management of electronic wastes as well as facilitating the exploration of novel device concepts. While a variety of inorganic and/or organic materials have been employed as media to introduce transient characteristics in electronic devices, they have been mainly limited to function as passive device components. Herein, we report that calcium (Ca) alginate, a natural biopolymer, exhibits multifunctionalities of introducing light-triggered transient characteristics as well as constituting active components in electronic devices integrated with two-dimensional (2D) molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) layers. Ca2+ ions-based alginate electrolyte films are prepared through hydrolysis reactions and are subsequently incorporated with riboflavin, a natural photosensitizer, for the light-driven dissolution of 2D MoS2 layers. The alginate films exhibit strain-sensitive triboelectricity, confirming the presence of abundant mobile Ca2+ ions, which enables them to be active components of 2D MoS2 field-effect transistors (FETs) functioning as electrolyte top-gates. The alginate-integrated 2D MoS2 FETs display intriguing transient characteristics of spontaneous degradation upon ultraviolet-to-visible light illumination as well as water exposure. Such transient characteristics are demonstrated even in ambient conditions with natural sunlight, highlighting the versatility of the developed approach. This study emphasizes a relatively unexplored aspect of combining naturally abundant polymers with emerging near atom-thickness semiconductors toward realizing unconventional and transformative device functionalities.

Evidence of contact-induced variability in industrially-fabricated highly-scaled MoS2 FETs

Evidence of microscopic inhomogeneities of the side source/drain contacts in 300 mm wafer integrated MoS2 field-effect transistors is presented. In particular, the presence of a limited number of low Schottky barrier spots through which channel carriers are predominantly injected is demonstrated by the dramatic current changes induced by individual charge traps located near the source contact. Two distinct types of “contact-impacting traps” are identified. Type-1 trap is adjacent to the contact interface and exchanges carriers with the metal. Its impact is only observable when the adjacent contact is the reverse-biased FET source and limits the channel current. Type-2 trap is located in the AlOx gate oxide interlayer, near the source contact, and exchanges carriers with the channel. Its capture/emission time constants exhibit both a gate and drain bias dependence due to the high sensitivity of the contact regions to the applied lateral and vertical fields. Unlike typical channel-impacting oxide traps, both types of reported defects affect the Schottky barrier height and width rather than the threshold voltage and result in giant random telegraph noise (RTN). These observations indicate that the contact quality and geometry play a fundamental role in the ultimate scaling of 2D FETs.

Photo-switching operation of MoS2 field effect transistor by photoisomerization of azobenzene in solution delivered on a microfluidic platform

Combining the photoisomerization of molecules with an electrical device is important for developing optoelectronic devices. Field effect transistors (FETs) with atomically thin channels are suitable for this purpose because the FET properties respond to chemical changes in molecules. Since the photoisomerization wavelength of the switching molecules can be tuned, complex logic operations can be realized if a specific molecule is delivered to the target FET of an integrated circuit. However, conventional techniques for transferring molecules, such as drop casting and sublimation, cannot efficiently realize this goal. In this study, we fabricated a MoS2 FET device combined with a microfluidic platform, wherein the MoS2 channel was in contact with the flow of an azobenzene solution in isopropyl alcohol as the solvent. UV radiation (365 nm) and thermal relaxation realize the cycle of trans- and cis-azobenzene states and the switching of the substantial FET properties. This study demonstrated the feasibility of using the solution for optical switching of the MoS2-FET, which can realize quick phase changes in the molecule and the delivery of the molecule to the target FET by a microfluidic platform.

Electrically Controlled High Sensitivity Strain Modulation in MoS2 Field-Effect Transistors via a Piezoelectric Thin Film on Silicon Substrates.

Strain can modulate bandgap and carrier mobilities in two-dimensional (2D) materials. Conventional strain-application methodologies relying on flexible/patterned/nanoindented substrates are limited by low thermal tolerance, poor tunability, and/or scalability. Here, we leverage the converse piezoelectric effect to electrically generate and control strain transfer from a piezoelectric thin film to electromechanically coupled 2D MoS2. Electrical bias polarity change across the piezo film tunes the nature of strain transferred to MoS2 from compressive (∼0.23%) to tensile (∼0.14%) as verified through Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopies and substantiated by density functional theory calculations. The device architecture, on silicon substrate, integrates an MoS2 field-effect transistor on a metal-piezoelectric-metal stack enabling strain modulation of transistor drain current (130×), on/off ratio (150×), and mobility (1.19×) with high precision, reversibility, and resolution. Large, tunable tensile (1056) and compressive (-1498) strain gauge factors, electrical strain modulation, and high thermal tolerance promise facile integration with silicon-based CMOS and micro-electromechanical systems.

In‐plane ferroelectrics enabling reduced hysteresis in monolayer MoS2 transistors

AbstractTwo‐dimensional (2D) semiconductors, such as monolayer MoS2, has emerged as a profound material platform in the post‐Moore era due to their versatile applications for high‐performance transistors, memories, photodetectors, neuristors, and so on. Nevertheless, the inherent defects in these atomically thin materials have given rise to significant hysteresis in their field‐effect transistors (FETs), resulting in shifted threshold voltages and elevated power consumptions not only on single‐device levels but also at circuitry scales. We herein report that, by vertically integrating an in‐plane ferroelectric, NbOCl2, with monolayer MoS2 FETs, the hysteresis in both the output and transfer curves of the latter can be greatly suppressed, which we attribute to compensated electromigration currents by the polarization currents of the 2D ferroelectric. This work opens a new avenue to hysteresis‐free 2D transistors without necessitating defect‐free channels, thus allowing for their use in high driving‐voltage scenarios such as power electronics.

Ultrathin LiF Insertion and Ensued Contact Resistance Reduction in MoS2 Channel Transistors

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is a representative 2D n‐type semiconductor for various electron devices, but its lateral conduction performances are still restricted, which are mainly attributed to the contact resistance (Rc) in field‐effect transistors (FETs). Low‐enough Rc value must be realized toward practical device fabrications. Herein, 2D MoS2 FETs using chemical vapor deposited (CVD) MoS2 channels with and without the ultrathin LiF interlayer are fabricated, to demonstrate the practical benefits of LiF. In addition, LiF is also applied to Al metal which is known to be more Earth abundant than Au, expecting the similar positive effects of the inserted LiF. When 35 CVD‐grown MoS2 channel FETs with Au are characterized on an identical gate dielectric substrate, the higher value of mobility ranging 55–60 cm2 V s−1 is achieved with the inserted LiF than that without LiF (≈20 cm2 V s−1). In the case of another MoS2 FET with exfoliated flake channel and Al contact, its field‐effect mobility with LiF insertion appears to be ≈35 cm2 V s−1, approaching to an almost Rc‐free mobility (42 cm2 V s−1).