Interface effects of Schottky devices built from MoS2 and high work function metals

Schottky junctions, formed by high work function metals and semiconductors, are important devices in electronics and optoelectronics. The metal deposition in traditional Schottky interfaces usually damages the semiconductor surface and causes defect states, which reduces the Schottky barrier height and device performance. This can be avoided in the atomically smooth interface formed by two-dimensional (2D) metals and semiconductors. For better interface tailoring engineering, it is particularly important to understand various interface effects in such 2D Schottky devices under critical or boundary conditions. Here we report the fabrication and testing of three types of MoS2 devices, i.e., using PtTe2, Cr and Au as contact materials. While the Cr/MoS2 contact is an ohmic contact, the other two are Schottky contacts. The van-der-Waals interface of PtTe2-MoS2 results in a well-defined OFF state and a significant rectification ratio of 10(4). This parameter, together with an ideality factor 2.1, outperforms the device based on evaporated Au. Moreover, a device in the intermediate condition is also presented. An abrupt increase in the reverse current is observed and understood based on the enhanced tunneling current. Our work manifests the essential role of doping concentration and provides another example for 2D Schottky interface design.

Automated summary

Schottky junctions formed by high work function metals and semiconductors have important applications in electronics and optoelectronics. Traditional Schottky interfaces can be damaged during metal deposition, but this issue is avoided by using atomically smooth interfaces formed by two-dimensional metals and semiconductors. In this study, we fabricated and tested three types of MoS2 devices with different contact materials (PtTe2, Cr, and Au), and found that the van-der-Waals interface of PtTe2-MoS2 exhibited excellent performance in the OFF state and rectification ratio.