Enhanced chemical vapour deposition of monolayer MoS2 films via a clean promoter

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new contamination-free promoter for chemical vapour deposition, enabling scalable, high-quality monolayer MoS2 growth with improved grain size and optical properties, advancing 2D material integration into electronics.

Contribution

A novel clean growth promoter for CVD of MoS2 that improves film quality and scalability while reducing contamination during synthesis.

Findings

Increased MoS2 flake size and coverage.

Enhanced photoluminescence peak at 1.84 eV.

Achieved high-quality, large-area monolayer MoS2.

Abstract

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), exemplified by molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), have shown exceptional potential for data-centred, energy-efficient electronic applications due to their unique electrical, optoelectronic, and mechanical properties. However, challenges such as the controllable synthesis of high-quality, large-area 2D MoS2 films and the mitigation of contamination during growth remain significant barriers to their integration into advanced technologies. Here, we developed a novel contamination-free growth promoter, enabling the clean and scalable synthesis of high quality 2D MoS2 with desirable grain structures via chemical vapour deposition (CVD). By optimising the reactant concentration and S/Mo ratio, we achieved promoter-dominated enhanced growth with enhanced quality, as evidenced by the increased MoS2 flake size and coverage, alongside a strong PL A exciton peak at 1.84 eV, matching that of the mechanically exfoliated sample. This approach facilitates the clean and site-specific growth of high-quality 2D MoS2, establishing a robust pathway for the practical implementation of 2D MoS2 in next-generation electronic devices.