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Atomic‐Scale Fabrication of In‐Plane Heterojunctions of Few‐Layer MoS 2 via In Situ Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy
Author(s) -
Tai KuoLun,
Huang ChunWei,
Cai RenFong,
Huang GuanMin,
Tseng YiTang,
Chen Jun,
Wu WenWei
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
small
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.785
H-Index - 236
eISSN - 1613-6829
pISSN - 1613-6810
DOI - 10.1002/smll.201905516
Subject(s) - materials science , scanning transmission electron microscopy , heterojunction , electron energy loss spectroscopy , nanoelectronics , nanotechnology , nanolithography , stacking , valleytronics , optoelectronics , etching (microfabrication) , transmission electron microscopy , high resolution transmission electron microscopy , layer (electronics) , fabrication , transition metal , chemistry , medicine , biochemistry , alternative medicine , organic chemistry , pathology , catalysis
Layered MoS 2 is a prospective candidate for use in energy harvesting, valleytronics, and nanoelectronics. Its properties strongly related to its stacking configuration and the number of layers. Due to its atomically thin nature, understanding the atomic‐level and structural modifications of 2D transition metal dichalcogenides is still underdeveloped, particularly the spatial control and selective precision. Therefore, the development of nanofabrication techniques is essential. Here, an atomic‐scale approach used to sculpt 2D few‐layer MoS 2 into lateral heterojunctions via in situ scanning/transmission electron microscopy (STEM/TEM) is developed. The dynamic evolution is tracked using ultrafast and high‐resolution filming equipment. The assembly behaviors inherent to few‐layer 2D‐materials are observed during the process and included the following: scrolling, folding, etching, and restructuring. Atomic resolution STEM is employed to identify the layer variation and stacking sequence for this new 2D‐architecture. Subsequent energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy analyses are performed to corroborate the elemental distribution. This sculpting technique that is established allows for the formation of sub‐10 nm features, produces diverse nanostructures, and preserves the crystallinity of the material. The lateral heterointerfaces created in this study also pave the way for the design of quantum‐relevant geometries, flexible optoelectronics, and energy storage devices.