Scalable synthesis of layer-controlled WS2 and MoS2 sheets by sulfurization of thin metal films

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have emerged as exciting 2D materials beyond graphene due to their promising applications in the field of electronics and optoelectronics. Hence, the ability to produce controllable and uniformly thick TMD sheets over a large area is of utmost important for large-scale applications. Here, a facile method of synthesizing large-area, layer-controlled WS2, and MoS2 sheets by sulfurization of their corresponding thin metal films is reported. A metal film, which is deposited by magnetron sputtering method, can be adjusted to produce, with great control, the desired sheet thickness down to a monolayer. Various characterization techniques, such as Raman, photoluminescence, and transmission electron microscopy, were used to evaluate the grown films. The results confirmed some of the exotic properties of TMDs such as the thickness dependent band-gap transition (indirect to direct band gap) and Raman shift. Devices made directly on the as-grown film showed modest mobility, ranging from 0.005 to 0.01 cm2 V−1s−1. Our synthesis method is simple and could also be used to synthesize other TMDs.