Evolution of local strain in Ag-deposited monolayer MoS2 modulated by interface interactions.

Strain is usually unavoidable in the fabrication of devices based on two-dimensional (2D) transition metal chalcogenides (TMDCs). When metals are deposited onto monolayer TMDCs, strain can be induced at metal-TMDC interfaces and evolves with elapsed time. However, the effect of the substrate on the strain evolution at the metal-TMDC interfaces is still unclear, which hinders the development of reliable 2D TMDC-based devices with perfect contacts. In this work, we investigated the evolution of metal-induced local strains for Ag-deposited monolayer MoS2 on three kinds of substrates with different interface interactions, i.e., sapphire, SiO2/Si, and mica. The interface interaction between MoS2 and sapphire is the strongest, while that between MoS2 and mica is the weakest. With the splitting of MoS2 Raman peaks as an indicator of local strain, the evolution behavior of the local strain at the Ag-MoS2 interfaces is found to greatly depend on the interface interactions from the underlying substrates. With elapsed time, the local strain is best preserved on sapphire but relaxed most easily on mica. Density-functional theory calculations show that the adsorption energies at the interfaces are different for MoS2 on different substrates, suggesting that the interface interaction between monolayer MoS2 and the substrates is crucial for the strain evolution. Our work is of benefit for the study of stability and reliability of devices based on TMDCs, particularly for flexible electronic devices.

Probing Evolution of Local Strain at MoS2-Metal Boundaries by Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering.

Strain usually exists in two-dimensional (2D) materials and devices, and its presence drastically modulates their properties. When 2D materials interface with noble metals, local strain and surface plasmon can couple at the metal-2D material boundaries, delivering a lot of intriguing phenomena. Current studies are mostly focused on the explanations of these strain-related phenomena based on a static point of view. Although strain can typically be relaxed in many environments, the time evolution of strain at metal-2D material interfaces remains largely unknown. In this work, we investigate the evolution of local strain at Ag-MoS2 boundaries by surface-enhanced Raman scattering. With the split of MoS2 Raman peaks as an indicator of local strain, it is found that the originally localized strain at Ag-MoS2 boundaries evolves and relaxes with time into a delocalized strain in MoS2 plane. The time to start the strain relaxation depends on the number of layers of MoS2 flakes, suggesting that the relaxation may result from the mechanical instability of the interface between the topmost MoS2 layer and the underlying materials. The relaxation occurs in a certain period of time, i.e., ∼70 days for 1L and ∼30 days for 3L. Accompanying the strain relaxation, surface sulfurization of Ag also occurs, a process that reduces the strength of locally enhanced electric field. Our results not only provide a deep understanding of strain evolution at metal-MoS2 interfaces but also shed light on the optimization of MoS2-based device fabrications.