Contact Engineering of Molybdenum Ditelluride Field Effect Transistors through Rapid Thermal Annealing

Understanding and engineering the interface between metal and two-dimensional materials are of great importance to the research and development of nanoelectronics. In many cases the interface of metal and 2D materials can dominate the transport behavior of the devices. In this study, we focus on the metal contacts of MoTe₂ (molybdenum ditelluride) FETs (field effect transistors) and demonstrate how to use post-annealing treatment to modulate their transport behaviors in a controlled manner. We have also carried out low temperature and transmission electron microscopy studies to understand the mechanisms behind the prominent effect of the annealing process. Changes in transport properties are presumably due to anti-site defects formed at the metal-MoTe₂ interface under elevated temperature. The study provides more insights into MoTe₂ field effect devices and suggests guidelines for future optimizations.