Chemical assembly of atomically thin transistors and circuits on a large scale

Title	Chemical assembly of atomically thin transistors and circuits on a large scale
Authors	Mervin Zhao, Yu Ye, Yimo Han, Yang Xia, Hanyu Zhu, Yuan Wang, David A. Muller, Xiang Zhang
Date	12/15/2015
DOI	10.1038/nnano.2016.115
Introduction	The ongoing demand for enhanced functionality, performance, and miniaturisation in integrated circuits necessitates the development of advanced materials beyond conventional silicon. While carbon nanotubes and semiconductor nanowires show promise, their widespread application faces hurdles due to complex fabrication requirements for large-scale production. Two-dimensional (2D) materials, such as gapless graphene and semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), present compelling alternatives owing to their atomic thinness, chemical robustness, and scalability. However, achieving precise spatial arrangement of metallic and semiconducting atomic thin films for 2D electronic structures remains a significant hurdle, hindering the integration of atomic elements into modern electronic systems. This work details the large-scale, spatially controlled synthesis of single-layer molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) in direct lateral contact with conductive graphene. Microscopic analysis confirms that single-layer MoS2 nucleates at the graphene edge, forming a lateral 2D heterostructure. The chemically assembled 2D atomic transistors fabricated from these heterostructures demonstrate high transconductance (10 µS), impressive on-off ratios (10^6), and notable mobility (20 cm^2 V^-1 s^-1). Furthermore, we constructed 2D logic circuits, including a heterostructure NMOS inverter exhibiting a high voltage gain of up to 70, enabled by the precise site selectivity inherent in these atomically thin conducting and semiconducting crystals. This scalable chemical assembly method for 2D heterostructures holds potential to initiate a new era in two-dimensional electronic circuitry and computing.
Quote	Mervin Zhao, Yu Ye and Yimo Han et al. Chemical assembly of atomically thin transistors and circuits on a large scale. 2015. DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2016.115
Element	Carbon (C) , Molybdenum (Mo) , Sulfur (S) , Silicon (Si)
Materials	Crystals
Industry	Electronics