Synthesis and characterization of WS2/graphene/SiC van der Waals heterostructures via WO3−x thin film sulfurization

Bradford, Jonathan; Shafiei, Mahnaz; MacLeod, Jennifer; Motta, Nunzio

Abstract

Van der Waals heterostructures of monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) and graphene have attracted keen scientific interest due to the complementary properties of the materials, which have wide reaching technological applications. Direct growth of uniform, large area TMDs on graphene substrates by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is limited by slow lateral growth rates, which result in a tendency for non-uniform multilayer growth. In this work, monolayer and few-layer WS2 was grown on epitaxial graphene on SiC by sulfurization of WO3−x thin films deposited directly onto the substrate. Using this method, WS2 growth was achieved at temperatures as low as 700 °C – significantly less than the temperature required for conventional CVD. Achieving long-range uniformity remains a challenge, but this process could provide a route to synthesize a broad range of TMD/graphene van der Waals heterostructures with novel properties and functionality not accessible by conventional CVD growth.

Citation

Bradford, J., Shafiei, M., MacLeod, J., & Motta, N. (2020). Synthesis and characterization of WS2/graphene/SiC van der Waals heterostructures via WO3−x thin film sulfurization. Scientific Reports, 10, Article 17334. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-74024-w

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 15, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Oct 15, 2020
• Publication Date: 2020-12
• Deposit Date: Nov 10, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 10, 2020
• Journal: Scientific Reports
• Electronic ISSN: 2045-2322
• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 10
• Article Number: 17334
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-74024-w
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/5032065
• Publisher URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-74024-w
• Additional Information: Received: 21 July 2020; Accepted: 15 September 2020; First Online: 15 October 2020; : The authors declare no competing interests.