Synthetic Lateral Metal-Semiconductor Heterostructures of Transition Metal Disulfides

Abstract

Lateral heterostructures with planar integrity form the basis of two-dimensional (2D) electronics and optoelectronics. Here we report that, through a two-step chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, high-quality lateral heterostructures can be constructed between metallic and semiconducting transition metal disulfide (TMD) layers. Instead of edge epitaxy, polycrystalline monolayer MoS₂ in such junctions was revealed to nucleate from the vertices of multilayered VS₂ crystals, creating one-dimensional junctions with ultralow contact resistance (0.5 kΩ·μm). This lateral contact contributes to 6-fold improved field-effect mobility for monolayer MoS₂, compared to the conventional on-top nickel contacts. The all-CVD strategy presented here hence opens up a new avenue for all-2D-based synthetic electronics.