Position-Controlled Fabrication of Vertically Aligned Mo/MoS2 Core-Shell Nanopillar Arrays

The fabrication of 2D materials, such as transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), in geometries beyond the standard platelet-like configuration exhibits significant challenges which severely limit the range of available morphologies. These challenges arise due to the anisotropic character of their bonding van der Waals out-of-plane while covalent in-plane. Furthermore, industrial applications based on TMD nanostructures with non-standard morphologies require full control on the size-, morphology-, and position on the wafer scale. Such a precise control remains an open problem of which solution would lead to the opening of novel directions in terms of optoelectronic applications. Here, a novel strategy to fabricate position-controlled Mo/MoS2 core-shell nanopillars (NPs) is reported on. Metal-Mo NPs are first patterned on a silicon wafer. These Mo NPs are then used as scaffolds for the synthesis of Mo/MoS2 core/shell NPs by exposing them to a rich sulfur environment. Transmission electron microscopy analysis reveals the core/shell nature of the NPs. It is demonstrated that individual Mo/MoS2 NPs exhibits significant nonlinear optical processes driven by the MoS2 shell, realizing a precise localization of the nonlinear signal. These results represent an important step towards realizing 1D TMD-based nanostructures as building blocks of a new generation of nanophotonic devices.

Automated summary

A novel strategy for fabricating position-controlled Mo/MoS2 core-shell nanopillars has been reported, utilizing metal-Mo nanoparticles as scaffolds for core/shell structure synthesis in a rich sulfur environment. The results demonstrate significant nonlinear optical processes in individual Mo/MoS2 nanoparticles, driven by the MoS2 shell, which could pave the way for a new generation of nanophotonic devices based on 1D TMD structures.