Whang Je Woo

Self-Limiting Layer Synthesis of Transition Metal Dichalcogenides.

This work reports the self-limiting synthesis of an atomically thin, two dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (2D TMDCs) in the form of MoS2. The layer controllability and large area uniformity essential for electronic and optical device applications is achieved through atomic layer deposition in what is named self-limiting layer synthesis (SLS); a process in which the number of layers is determined by temperature rather than process cycles due to the chemically inactive nature of 2D MoS2. Through spectroscopic and microscopic investigation it is demonstrated that SLS is capable of producing MoS2 with a wafer-scale (~10 cm) layer-number uniformity of more than 90%, which when used as the active layer in a top-gated field-effect transistor, produces an on/off ratio as high as 108. This process is also shown to be applicable to WSe2, with a PN diode fabricated from a MoS2/WSe2 heterostructure exhibiting gate-tunable rectifying characteristics.

Effect of Al2O3 Deposition on Performance of Top-Gated Monolayer MoS2-Based Field Effect Transistor

Deposition of high-k dielectrics on two-dimensional MoS2 is an important process for successful application of the transition-metal dichalcogenides in electronic devices. Here, we show the effect of H2O reactant exposure on monolayer (1L) MoS2 during atomic layer deposition (ALD) of Al2O3. The results showed that the ALD-Al2O3 caused degradation of the performance of 1L MoS2 field effect transistors (FETs) owing to the formation of Mo-O bonding and trapping of H2O molecules at the Al2O3/MoS2 interface. Furthermore, we demonstrated that reduced duration of exposure to H2O reactant and postdeposition annealing were essential to the enhancement of the performance of top-gated 1L MoS2 FETs. The mobility and on/off current ratios were increased by factors of approximately 40 and 103, respectively, with reduced duration of exposure to H2O reactant and with postdeposition annealing.

Low-temperature synthesis of 2D MoS2 on a plastic substrate for a flexible gas sensor

The efficient synthesis of two-dimensional molybdenum disulfide (2D MoS2) at low temperatures is essential for use in flexible devices. In this study, 2D MoS2 was grown directly at a low temperature of 200 °C on both hard (SiO2) and soft substrates (polyimide (PI)) using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) with Mo(CO)6 and H2S. We investigated the effect of the growth temperature and Mo concentration on the layered growth by Raman spectroscopy and microscopy. 2D MoS2 was grown by using low Mo concentration at a low temperature. Through optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, photoluminescence, and transmission electron microscopy measurements, MoS2 produced by low-temperature CVD was determined to possess a layered structure with good uniformity, stoichiometry, and a controllable number of layers. Furthermore, we demonstrated the realization of a 2D MoS2-based flexible gas sensor on a PI substrate without any transfer processes, with competitive sensor performance and mechanical durability at room temperature. This fabrication process has potential for burgeoning flexible and wearable nanotechnology applications.

Enhanced Light Stability of InGaZnO Thin-Film Transistors by Atomic-Layer-Deposited Y2O3 with Ozone

We report the effect of Y2O3 passivation by atomic layer deposition (ALD) using various oxidants, such as H2O, O2 plasma, and O3, on In-Ga-Zn-O thin-film transistors (IGZO TFTs). A large negative shift in the threshold voltage (Vth) was observed in the case of the TFT subjected to the H2O-ALD Y2O3 process; this shift was caused by a donor effect of negatively charged chemisorbed H2O molecules. In addition, degradation of the IGZO TFT device performance after the O2 plasma-ALD Y2O3 process (field-effect mobility (μ) = 8.7 cm2/(V·s), subthreshold swing (SS) = 0.77 V/dec, and Vth = 3.7 V) was observed, which was attributed to plasma damage on the IGZO surface adversely affecting the stability of the TFT under light illumination. In contrast, the O3-ALD Y2O3 process led to enhanced device stability under light illumination (ΔVth = -1 V after 3 h of illumination) by passivating the subgap defect states in the IGZO surface region. In addition, TFTs with a thicker IGZO film (55 nm, which was the optimum thickness under the current investigation) showed more stable device performance than TFTs with a thinner IGZO film (30 nm) (ΔVth = -0.4 V after 3 h of light illumination) by triggering the recombination of holes diffusing from the IGZO surface to the insulator-channel interface. Therefore, we envisioned that the O3-ALD Y2O3 passivation layer suggested in this paper can improve the photostability of TFTs under light illumination.

Effects of TaN Diffusion Barrier on Cu-Gate ZnO:N Thin-Film Transistors

The effects of TaN Cu diffusion barrier in Cu-gate ZnO:N thin-film transistors (TFTs) were studied. Bias stress tests were performed on Cu-gate TFTs with atomic layer deposited Al2O3 and HfO2 gate insulators. The mobility, the threshold voltage, and the reliability were significantly improved by applying a TaN diffusion barrier at the interface between the Cu gate and the gate insulator. The reduction in Cu diffusion by the diffusion barrier is a key process that increases device stability and results in improved oxide TFT performance.

Catalytic chemical vapor deposition of large-area uniform two-dimensional molybdenum disulfide using sodium chloride

The effective synthesis of atomically thin molybdenum disulfides (MoS2) of high quality and uniformity over a large area is essential for their use in electronic and optical devices. In this work, we synthesize MoS2 that exhibit a high quality and large area uniformity using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) with volatile S organic compound and NaCl catalysts. In the latter process, the NaCl enhances the growth rate (5 min for synthesis of monolayer MoS2) and purity of the synthesized MoS2. The optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, photoluminescence, and transmission electron microscopy measurements indicate that the NaCl-CVD MoS2 has a large grain size, clear Raman shift, strong photoluminescence, good stoichiometry, and 6-fold coordination symmetry. Moreover, we demonstrate that the electron mobility (10.4 cm2/V•s) and on/off current ratio (3 × 107) of monolayer MoS2 measured using a field-effect transistor are comparable to those of previously reported MoS2 synthesized using CVD.

High-Performance Ink-Synthesized Cu-Gate Thin-Film Transistor with Diffusion Barrier Formation

The improved electrical properties of Cu-gate thin-film transistors (TFTs) using an ink-synthesizing process were studied; this technology enables a low-cost and large area process for the display industry. We investigated the film properties and the effects of the ink-synthesized Cu layer in detail with respect to device characteristics. The mobility and reliability of the devices were significantly improved by applying a diffusion barrier at the interface between the Cu gate and the gate insulator. By using a TaN diffusion barrier layer, considerably improved and stabilized ink-Cu gated TFTs could be realized, comparable to sputtered-Cu gated TFTs under positive bias temperature stress measurements.

High-Performance Gas Sensor Using a Large-Area WS2xSe2–2x Alloy for Low-Power Operation Wearable Applications

Two-dimensional (2D) transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) have attracted considerable attention as promising building blocks for a new generation of gas-sensing devices because of their excellent electrical properties, superior response, flexibility, and low-power consumption. Owing to their large surface-to-volume ratio, various 2D TMDCs, such as MoS2, MoSe2, WS2, and WSe2, have exhibited excellent gas-sensing characteristics. However, exploration toward the enhancement of TMDC gas-sensing performance has not yet been intensively addressed. Here, we synthesized large-area uniform WS2 xSe2-2 x alloys for room-temperature gas sensors. As-synthesized WS2 xSe2-2 x alloys exhibit an elaborative composition control owing to their thermodynamically stable sulfurization process. Further, utilizing uniform WS2 xSe2-2 x alloys over a large area, we demonstrated improved NO2-sensing performance compared to WSe2 on the basis of an electronic sensitization mechanism. The WS0.96Se1.04 alloy gas sensor exhibits 2.4 times enhanced response for NO2 exposure. Further, we demonstrated a low-power wearable NO2-detecting wristband that operates at room temperature. Our results show that the proposed method is a promising strategy to improve 2D TMDC gas sensors and has a potential for applications in advanced gas-sensing devices.

Recovery Improvement for Large-Area Tungsten Diselenide Gas Sensors

Semiconducting two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenides are considered promising gas-sensing materials because of their large surface-to-volume ratio, excellent electrical conductivity, and susceptible surfaces. However, enhancement of the recovery performance has not yet been intensively explored. In this study, a large-area uniform WSe2 is synthesized for use in a high-performance semiconductor gas sensor. At room temperature, the WSe2 gas sensor shows a significantly high response (4140%) to NO2 compared to the use of NH3, CO2, and acetone. This paper demonstrates improved recovery of the WSe2 gas sensors NO2-sensing performance by utilizing external thermal energy. In addition, a novel strategy for improving the recovery of the WSe2 gas sensor is realized by reacting NH3 and adsorbed NO2 on the surface of WSe2: the NO2 molecules are spontaneously desorbed, and the recovery time is dramatically decreased (85 min → 43 s). It is expected that the fast recovery of the WSe2 gas sensor achieved here will be used to develop an environmental monitoring system platform.