Large-Area and Strain-Reduced Two-Dimensional Molybdenum Disulfide Monolayer Emitters on a Three-Dimensional Substrate

Atomically thin membranes of two-dimensional (2-D) transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) have distinct emission properties, which can be utilized for realizing ultrathin optoelectronic integrated systems in the future. Growing a large-area and strain-reduced monolayer 2-D material on a three-dimensional (3-D) substrate with microstructures or nanostructures is a crucial technique because the electronic band structure of TMDC atomic layers is strongly affected by the number of stacked layers and strain. In this study, a large-area and strain-reduced MoS₂ monolayer was fabricated on a 3-D substrate through a two-step growth procedure. The material characteristics and optical properties of monolayer TMDCs fabricated on the nonplanar substrate were examined. The growth of monolayer MoS₂ on a cone-shaped sapphire substrate effectively reduced the tensile strain induced by the substrate by decreasing the thermal expansion mismatch between the 2-D material and the substrate. Monolayer MoS₂ grown on the nonplanar substrate exhibited uniform strain reduction and luminescence intensity. The fabrication of monolayer MoS₂ on a nonplanar substrate increased the light extraction efficiency. In the future, large-area and strain-reduced 2-D TMDC materials grown on a nonplanar substrate can be employed as novel light-emitting devices for applications in lighting, communication, and displays for the development of ultrathin optoelectronic integrated systems.