Direct electron-beam patterning of monolayer MoS2 with ice

Abstract

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are considered strong competitors for next generation semiconductor materials. In this paper, we propose direct electron-beam patterning of monolayer MoS₂ inspired by an emerging ice lithography technique. Compared to conventional resist-based nanofabrication, ice-assisted patterning is free of contaminations from polymer resist and allows in situ processing of MoS₂. The effects of electron beam dose and energy are investigated and nanoribbons with width below 30 nm are attainable. This method is expected to be applicable also to other TMDCs, providing a promising alternative for nanofabrication of 2D material devices.