# Strain engineering of Schottky barriers in single- and few-layer MoS2 vertical devices

## TL;DR

This study investigates how local strain influences the electronic transport and Schottky barrier properties in vertical MoS2-based devices, demonstrating tunable rectification and stability through mechanical load application.

## Contribution

It introduces a method to control Schottky barriers in MoS2 devices via local strain using atomic force microscopy, providing quantitative analysis and stability testing.

## Key findings

- Rectification ratios depend on applied load
- Double Schottky barrier model fits experimental data
- Structures serve as mechanically tunable rectifiers

## Abstract

We study the effect of local strain in the electronic transport properties of vertical metal-atomically thin MoS2-metal structures. We use a conductive atomic force microscope tip to apply different load forces to monolayer and few-layer MoS2 crystals deposited onto a conductive indium tin oxide (ITO) substrate while measuring simultaneously the I-V characteristics of the vertical tip/MoS2/ITO structures. The structures show rectifying I-V characteristics, with rectification ratios strongly dependent on the applied load. To understand these results, we compare the experimental I-Vs with a double Schottky barrier model, which is in good agreement with our experimental results and allows us to extract quantitative information about the electronic properties of the tip/MoS2/ITO structures and their dependence on the applied load. Finally, we test the stability of the studied structures using them as mechanically tunable current rectifiers.

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/1701.07000