Polymer-free van der Waals assembly of 2D material heterostructures using muscovite crystals

TL;DR

This paper introduces a polymer-free method using muscovite crystals for assembling 2D material heterostructures with atomic precision, enhancing interface cleanliness and deterministic control.

Contribution

A novel temperature-controlled, mica-based transfer technique that enables deterministic, clean assembly of 2D heterostructures without organic contamination.

Findings

Enables deterministic pick-up, stacking, and release of 2D materials.

Ensures pristine interfaces and suppresses strain in assembled structures.

Compatible with existing fabrication workflows for complex heterostructures.

Abstract

The advent of van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures has enabled formation of bespoke materials with atomic precision, where numerous quantum and topological phenomena have already been discovered. This atomic-layer tunability, however, comes at a cost: individual 2D layers must be picked up, moved, and placed in a deterministic manner while keeping their interfaces atomically clean. Recent advances in machine learning and robotics place even stronger emphasis on the deterministic aspect of vdW assembly. Current polymer-based transfer methods satisfy neither the determinism nor cleanliness requirements. To this end, solutions are needed where adhesion can be dynamically and deterministically controlled without leaving organic contamination. Here, we present a polymer free transfer technique employing thin muscovite (mica) crystals. Temperature control over mica adhesion enables deterministic pick-up, stacking, and release of 2D materials, while their crystalline, inorganic nature ensures pristine interfaces and suppresses strain. Fully compatible with existing fabrication workflows, this approach enables the assembly of demanding vdW heterostructures, including those with exposed conductive layers, moir\'e superlattices and suspended membranes. Our method represents a promising strategy for vdW heterostructure fabrication toward its automatization.