Research Projects

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are a rapidly growing field of two-dimensional (2D) layered materials with unique properties such as transparency, flexibility, high on/off ratios, and excellent electrostatic control. These properties make them ideal for optoelectronic and sensor applications, as well as next-generation tunnel field effect transistors (TFETs). However, scalability has been a primary issue in applying lab-scale research to large-scale manufacturing. This research aims to explore the growth of uniform, large-area, high-quality MoS2 and WS2 using atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique. ALD is a powerful deposition technique for large-area growth of thin films due to its excellent film conformality and precise thickness control. It allows for low-temperature deposition, making it suitable for process integration into existing CMOS technologies. The research also explores area-selective ALD (AS-ALD) for deposition of commonly used dielectrics in CMOS onto planar and 3D substrates using a topographically selective deposition process. AS-ALD is a promising bottom-up approach to address current issues in advanced semiconductor manufacturing, resulting in reduced complexity and process steps while providing high precision. The proposed work will develop high-quality ALD grown MoS2 and WS2 through identification and optimization of suitable ALD process parameters, examine morphology, thickness, chemical composition, crystal structure, optical properties, and electrical properties, and develop an area-selective ALD workflow for growth of dielectrics on selectively defined areas. The growing scientific community in TMDCs will gain a detailed understanding of the ALD process for the growth of uniform MoS2 and WS2, which can be applied to other TMDCs.