Amorphous crystallization-driven new perspectives in 2D layered materials

Abstract

  Chalcogenide materials containing Group 16 elements are promising candidates for next-generation electronic devices. In this article, the growth of chalcogenide thin films by sputtering is introduced. In particular, an amorphous-to-crystalline transformation technique is presented as an effective approach for the growth of two-dimensional layered materials. Sb₂Te₃ is found to serve as a favorable contact electrode material for monolayer MoS₂ channels. Moreover, a metastable GeTe₂ phase is identified as a novel layered material that can be obtained exclusively through amorphous crystallization. This technique is demonstrated to be a versatile and powerful method for creating a variety of highly oriented two-dimensional layered thin films, thereby enabling performance enhancement in future electronic devices.