A universal etching-free transfer of MoS sub(2) films for applications in photodetectors

• Published in: Nano research 2015-11, Vol.8 (11), p.3662-3672
• Main Authors: Ma, Donglin, Shi, Jianping, Ji, Qingqing, Chen, Ke, Yin, Jianbo, Lin, Yuanwei, Zhang, Yu, Liu, Mengxi, Feng, Qingliang, Song, Xiuju, Guo, Xuefeng, Zhang, Jin, Zhang, Yanfeng, Liu, Zhongfan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Collapse; Etchants; Etching; Mica; Molybdenum disulfide; Morphology; Nanostructure; Photodetectors
• ISSN: 1998-0124; 1998-0000
• DOI: 10.1007/s12274-015-0866-z

Transferring MoS sub(2) films from growth substrates onto target substrates is a critical issue for their practical applications. Moreover, it remains a great challenge to avoid sample degradation and substrate destruction, because the current transfer method inevitably employs a wet chemical etching process. We developed an etching-free transfer method for transferring MoS sub(2) films onto arbitrary substrates by using ultrasonication. Briefly, the collapse of ultrasonication-generated microbubbles at the interface between polymer-coated MoS sub(2) film and substrates induce sufficient force to delaminate the MoS sub(2) films. Using this method, the MoS sub(2) films can be transferred from all substrates (silica, mica, strontium titanate, and sapphire) and retains the original sample morphology and quality. This method guarantees a simple transfer process and allows the reuse of growth substrates, without involving any hazardous etchants. The etching-free transfer method is likely to promote broad applications of MoS sub(2) in photodetectors. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]