n- and p-Type doping phenomenon by artificial DNA and M-DNA on two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) nanotechnology holds great potential for the development of extremely small devices with increasingly complex functionality. However, most current research related to DNA is limited to crystal growth and synthesis. In addition, since controllable doping methods like ion implantation can cause fatal crystal damage to 2D TMD materials, it is very hard to achieve a low-level doping concentration (nondegenerate regime) on TMD in the present state of technology. Here, we report a nondegenerate doping phenomenon for TMD materials (MoS2 and WSe2, which represent n- and p-channel materials, respectively) using DNA and slightly modified DNA by metal ions (Zn(2+), Ni(2+), Co(2+), and Cu(2+)), named as M-DNA. This study is an example of interdisciplinary convergence research between DNA nanotechnology and TMD-based 2D device technology. The phosphate backbone (PO4(-)) in DNA attracts and holds hole carriers in the TMD region, n-doping the TMD films. Conversely, M-DNA nanostructures, which are functionalized by intercalating metal ions, have positive dipole moments and consequently reduce the electron carrier density of TMD materials, resulting in p-doping phenomenon. N-doping by DNA occurs at ∼6.4 × 10(10) cm(-2) on MoS2 and ∼7.3 × 10(9) cm(-2) on WSe2, which is uniform across the TMD area. p-Doping which is uniformly achieved by M-DNA occurs between 2.3 × 10(10) and 5.5 × 10(10) cm(-2) on MoS2 and between 2.4 × 10(10) and 5.0 × 10(10) cm(-2) on WSe2. These doping levels are in the nondegenerate regime, allowing for the proper design of performance parameters of TMD-based electronic and optoelectronic devices (VTH, on-/off-currents, field-effect mobility, photoresponsivity, and detectivity). In addition, by controlling the metal ions used, the p-doping level of TMD materials, which also influences their performance parameters, can be controlled. This interdisciplinary convergence research will allow for the successful integration of future layered semiconductor devices requiring extremely small and very complicated structures.