Reliable and Broad-range Layer Identification of Au-assisted Exfoliated Large Area MoS$_2$ and WS$_2$ Using Reflection Spectroscopic Fingerprints

TL;DR

This paper introduces a reflection spectroscopy method for accurate, high-throughput layer number identification of large-area Au-assisted exfoliated MoS$_2$ and WS$_2$ films, aiding research and device development.

Contribution

It presents a simple optical technique based on white light reflection spectra to reliably determine layer thickness in Au-assisted exfoliated 2D materials over a broad range.

Findings

Reflection peak intensity correlates with layer number.

Method is fast, damage-free, and compatible with other spectroscopies.

Facilitates studies of layer-dependent properties and device applications.

Abstract

The emerging Au-assisted exfoliation technique provides a wealth of large-area and high-quality ultrathin two-dimensional (2D) materials compared with traditional tape-based exfoliation. Fast, damage-free, and reliable determination of the layer number of such 2D films is essential to study layer-dependent physics and promote device applications. Here, an optical method has been developed for simple, high throughput, and accurate determination of the layer number for Au-assisted exfoliated MoS$_2$ and WS$_2$ films in a broad thickness range. The method is based on quantitative analysis of layer-dependent white light reflection spectra, revealing that the reflection peak intensity can be used as a clear indicator for determining the layer number. The simple yet robust method will facilitate the fundamental study on layer-dependent optical, electrical, and thermal properties and device applications of 2D materials. The technique can also be readily combined with photoluminescence and Raman spectroscopies to study other layer-dependent physical properties of 2D materials.