Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth of two-dimensional molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) using molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) and sulfur (S) powder often results in intermediate molybdenum oxy-sulfide (MoOS2) species along with MoS2 due to a lack of control over the vapor pressure required for the clean growth. Much effort has been devoted in understanding and controlling of these intermediate MoOS2 specifies. Here, we show that with a second step sulfurization at moderate temperatures, these MoOS2 crystals can be transformed to monolayer MoS2 crystals. Scanning electron microscopy, Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy characterization carried out before and after re-sulfurization confirm the monolayer MoS2 growth via this route. This study shows that MoOS2 formed at the intermediate state can be successfully recycled to MoS2.

Scalable synthesis of two-dimensional molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is of considerable interests for many applications in electronics and optoelectronics. Here, we investigate the CVD growth of MoS2 single crystals on sapphire substrates by using thermally evaporated molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) thin films as molybdenum (Mo) source instead of conventionally used MoO3 powder for co-evaporation synthesis. The MoO3 thin film source provides uniform Mo vapor pressure in the growth chamber resulting in clean and reproducible MoS2 triangles without any oxide or oxysulfide species. Scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy characterization were performed to characterize the growth results. Very high photoluminescence (PL) response was observed at 1.85 eV which is a good implication of high optical quality of these crystals directly grown on sapphire substrate.

The 2D transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) tungsten disulfide (WS2) has attracted great interest due to its unique properties and prospects for future (opto)electronics. However, compared to molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), the development of a reproducible and scalable deposition process for 2D WS2 has not advanced very far yet. Here, we report on the systematic investigation of 2D WS2 growth on hydrogen (H2)-desorbed sapphire (0001) substrates using a hydrogen sulfide (H2S)-free metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) process in a commercial AIXTRON planetary hot-wall reactor in 10 × 2" configuration. Tungsten hexacarbonyl (WCO, 99.9 %) and di-tert-butyl sulfide (DTBS, 99.9999 %) were used as MO sources, nitrogen (N2) was selected as carrier gas for the deposition processes (standard growth time 10 h). In an initial study, the impact of growth temperature on nucleation and growth was investigated and an optimal value of 820 °C was found. The influence of the WCO flow on lateral growth was investigated. The aim was to maximize the edge length of triangular crystals as well as the total surface coverage. Extending gradually the growth time up to 20 h at optimized WCO flow conditions yields fully coalesced WS2 samples without parasitic carbon-related Raman peaks and with only sparse bilayer nucleation. After substrate removal, a fully coalesced WS2 film was implemented into a light-emitting device showing intense red electroluminescence (EL).

Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), a two dimensional (2D) material, has emerged as an important substrate and dielectric for electronic, optoelectronic, and photonic devices based on graphene and other atomically thin two dimensional materials. Here we report on the initial oxidation of (0001) hBN single crystals in ambient air as functions of temperature and time, as determined by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS). For oxidation times of 20 minutes, the first evidence of oxidation appears at 900°C, with the formation of shallow, hexagonal-, and irregular-shaped pits that are less than 100 nm across and several nanometer deep. Oxidation at 1100°C for 20 minutes produced 1.0-2.0-micron size pits with flat and pointed bottoms that were approximately hexagonal-shaped, but with rough and irregular edges, and multiple interior steps. Oxidation was not uniform on the surface of hBN, but starts where dislocations in the crystal intersected the surfaces. Pit depth increased linearly with temperature and oxidation times. In addition to the surface pits, small particles formed on the surface. Elemental analysis of the thermally oxidized hBN crystals by SEM/EDS revealed the major elements of these particles were boron and oxygen.

The emergence of 2D materials has led to increased attention on correlating the structural, optical, and optoelectronic properties of atomically thin transition metal chalcogenides like MoS2. We demonstrate the tunability of the photoluminescence (PL) properties of bulk MoS2 via implantation of Nb ions. Raman spectroscopy is used to confirm the p-type doping. The PL intensity of MoS2 is drastically enhanced by the adsorption of p-type dopants. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is used to study the change of MoS2 structure post-implantation. Our results provide a new route for modulating the optical properties of two-dimensional semiconductors. The strong and stable PL from defect sites of MoS2 created by Nb ion implantation may have promising applications in optoelectronic devices.

The presence of a direct optical bandgap in the transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) layers leads to promising applications in optoelectronic devices such as phototransistors and photodetectors. These devices are commonly fabricated using few-layer and monolayer MoS2 sheets obtained using mechanical exfoliation or chemical vapor deposition techniques. The hybrid structure of quantum dots (QDs) and 2D materials has been investigated to provide outstanding properties for various applications. Herein we report the fabrication of a hybrid QDs/MoS2 photodetector consisting of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) and multilayer MoS2 sheets. The hybrid GQDs and MoS2 films are characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM); additionally, the I-V characteristics are measured by two-point probe station.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a retinal degenerative disease that results in a continuous degeneration of photoreceptors in the retina, which eventually leads to complete blindness. One approach to combat AMD is through the use of artificially implantable photodetectors that are physically placed on the retina. Interestingly, 2D materials such as photosensitive and semiconducting molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and electrically conducting graphene have recently received tremendous promise due to their unique photonic and optoelectronic properties and their potential in various types of micro and nano-devices. In this study, a highly biocompatible 2D graphene-MoS2 photodetectors on a flexible polyimide substrate were designed, fabricated using inkjet printing to form photosensitive pixels and tested as a function of photo intensity and strain. The inkjet printed 2D heterostructure devices were photoresponsive and the photocurrent scaled proportionally with the incident light intensity, exhibiting a photoresponsivity R ∼ 0.30 A/W at room temperature. The strain-dependent measurements of photocurrent with bending showed a photocurrent of Iph ∼ 1.16 μA with strain levels for curvature up to ∼ 0.262 cm-1. Inkjet printed graphene and MoS2 inks were also characterized using techniques such as Raman Spectroscopy, Photoluminescence (PL) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).

Phonons are critical in understanding the electronic, optical and optoelectronic properties of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). The interpretation of lineshapes is important for understanding the effect of specific physical processes on the electronic, optical and optoelectronic properties of TMDs. We employ an analytical approach to investigate the influence of the layered effect, the quantum size effect, the Breit-Wigner-Fano effect, and the inhomogeneous heating effect on the phonon lineshape of TMDs, using WS2 and MoS2 as prototypes. We demonstrate the similarities and differences in how individual processes affect the lineshapes and also the effect of combining processes. Such an approach is useful in guiding the interpretation of the phonon lineshapes of TMDs in particular, and nanostructures in general.

Here we present the results of the exciton states study in WSe2 and MoS2 monolayers. Thin WSe2 and MoS2 films obtained by CVD technique were studied by optical methods. The films two-dimensionality and homogeneity were confirmed by the methods of atomic force microscopy and luminescence spectroscopy. The second harmonic generation (SHG) spectroscopy technique was used for the exciton states study at room temperature in the pump photon energy range of 0.8-1.05 eV. The sevenfold SHG intensity resonance amplification was found for the 1.62 eV and 1.87 eV SHG photon energy for the WSe2 and MoS2 films, respectively, that corresponds to the exciton transition energy. These resonance peaks belong to optical A excitons with 1s energy level.