Synthesis of alloys and lateral heterostructures of atomically thin transition-metal dichalcogenides for optoelectronic applications

The development of novel material platforms is the driving force behind steady advancements in microelectronics and optical sciences. Demonstrating novel functionalities, achieving faster data processing speeds, and minimizing the power consumption are the most important figures of merit, which shape the research roadmap for the discovery of new applied materials. Along this venue, most often, combing heterogeneous material is the most viable approach for simultaneously achieving these figures of merit all in one single chip. Motivated by this precedent, the objective of my research is oriented towards the implementation of a holist material platform for the synthesis of atomically thin lateral heterostructures (HSs) with engineerable morphologies and tunable optoelectronic properties in addressable sites on an electron chip. Employing the multipotent transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) material system, I first establish a technique for the post-growth alloying of binary TMDs and then harness it for the synthesis of patterned lateral TMD HSs using a CMOS-compatible fabrication protocol. Following a complete set of spectroscopies and characterizations, I provide detailed insights into the HS synthesis mechanism and further discuss technical challenges and viable solutions. I believe the developed knowledge in my PhD research can find immediate applications in multiple technologies including quantum information-processing, wearable devices, and the next generation of optoelectronics.Ph.D