Ultra-clean interface between high k dielectric and 2D MoS2

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Yan, Han, Wang, Yan, Li, Yang, Phuyal, Dibya, Liu, Lixin, Guo, Hailing, Guo, Yuzheng, Lee, Tien-Lin, Kim, Min Hyuk, Jeong, Hu Young, Chhowalla, Manish
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Yan, Han
Wang, Yan
Li, Yang
Phuyal, Dibya
Liu, Lixin
Guo, Hailing
Guo, Yuzheng
Lee, Tien-Lin
Kim, Min Hyuk
Jeong, Hu Young
Chhowalla, Manish
author_facet Yan, Han
Wang, Yan
Li, Yang
Phuyal, Dibya
Liu, Lixin
Guo, Hailing
Guo, Yuzheng
Lee, Tien-Lin
Kim, Min Hyuk
Jeong, Hu Young
Chhowalla, Manish
contents Atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are promising candidates for next-generation transistor channels due to their superior scaling properties. However, the integration of ultra-thin gate dielectrics remains a challenge, as conventional oxides such as SiO2, Al2O3, and HfO2 tend to unintentionally dope 2D TMDs and introduce interfacial defect states, leading to undesirable field-effect transistor (FET) performance and unstable threshold voltages. Here, we demonstrate that zirconium oxide (ZrO2), a high-k dielectric compatible with semiconductor processing, forms an ultra-clean interface with monolayer MoS2. Using soft and hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory, we find that ZrO2 does not measurably interact with MoS2, in contrast to significant doping observed for SiO2 and HfO2 substrates. As a result, back-gated monolayer MoS2 FETs fabricated with ZrO2 dielectrics exhibit stable and positive threshold voltages (0.36 plus/minus 0.3 V), low subthreshold swing (75 mV per decade), and high ON currents exceeding 400 microamperes. We further demonstrate p-type WSe2 FETs with ON currents greater than 200 microamperes per micrometer by suppressing electron doping with ZrO2 dielectrics. Atomic-resolution imaging confirms a defect-free ZrO2/MoS2 interface, which enables top-gate FETs with an equivalent oxide thickness of 0.86 nanometers and subthreshold swing of 80 mV per decade. Moreover, the ultraclean ZrO2/MoS2 interface allows for effective threshold voltage modulation in top-gate FETs via gate metal work function engineering. These findings establish ZrO2 as a highly promising, industry-compatible high-k dielectric for scalable 2D TMD-based electronics.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2507_18010
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Ultra-clean interface between high k dielectric and 2D MoS2
Yan, Han
Wang, Yan
Li, Yang
Phuyal, Dibya
Liu, Lixin
Guo, Hailing
Guo, Yuzheng
Lee, Tien-Lin
Kim, Min Hyuk
Jeong, Hu Young
Chhowalla, Manish
Materials Science
Applied Physics
Atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are promising candidates for next-generation transistor channels due to their superior scaling properties. However, the integration of ultra-thin gate dielectrics remains a challenge, as conventional oxides such as SiO2, Al2O3, and HfO2 tend to unintentionally dope 2D TMDs and introduce interfacial defect states, leading to undesirable field-effect transistor (FET) performance and unstable threshold voltages. Here, we demonstrate that zirconium oxide (ZrO2), a high-k dielectric compatible with semiconductor processing, forms an ultra-clean interface with monolayer MoS2. Using soft and hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory, we find that ZrO2 does not measurably interact with MoS2, in contrast to significant doping observed for SiO2 and HfO2 substrates. As a result, back-gated monolayer MoS2 FETs fabricated with ZrO2 dielectrics exhibit stable and positive threshold voltages (0.36 plus/minus 0.3 V), low subthreshold swing (75 mV per decade), and high ON currents exceeding 400 microamperes. We further demonstrate p-type WSe2 FETs with ON currents greater than 200 microamperes per micrometer by suppressing electron doping with ZrO2 dielectrics. Atomic-resolution imaging confirms a defect-free ZrO2/MoS2 interface, which enables top-gate FETs with an equivalent oxide thickness of 0.86 nanometers and subthreshold swing of 80 mV per decade. Moreover, the ultraclean ZrO2/MoS2 interface allows for effective threshold voltage modulation in top-gate FETs via gate metal work function engineering. These findings establish ZrO2 as a highly promising, industry-compatible high-k dielectric for scalable 2D TMD-based electronics.
title Ultra-clean interface between high k dielectric and 2D MoS2
topic Materials Science
Applied Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.18010