Etching-free transfer of wafer-scale MoS2 films

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel etching-free method for transferring wafer-scale MoS2 films onto various substrates using ultrasonication, avoiding damage and enabling substrate reuse for broader applications.

Contribution

A new ultrasonication-based transfer technique for MoS2 films that preserves film quality and substrate integrity, eliminating the need for hazardous etching processes.

Findings

Successful transfer of MoS2 onto multiple substrates

Preservation of film morphology and quality

Enabling substrate reuse and safer process

Abstract

How to transfer MoS2 films from growth substrates onto target substrates is a critical issue for its practical applications. However, it remains a great challenge to avoid the sample degradation and substrate destruction, since current transfer method inevitably employs a wet chemical etching process. Herein, we develop an etching-free transfer method for transferring wafer-scale MoS2 films onto arbitrary substrates by using ultrasonication. Briefly, the collapse of ultrasonication-generated microbubbles at the interface between polymer-coated MoS2 film and substrates induce sufficient force to delaminate the MoS2 films. Using this method the MoS2 films can be transferred from all the substrates (silica, mica, strontium titanate, sapphire) and remains the original sample morphology and quality. This method guarantees a simple transfer process, allows the reuse of growth substrates, without the presence of any hazardous etchants. The etching-free transfer method may promote the broad applications of MoS2 in electronics, optoelectronics and catalysis.