In-situ formation and evolution of atomic defects in monolayer WSe₂ under electron irradiation

Transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) monolayers such as MoS₂, MoSe₂, MoTe₂, WS₂ and WSe₂ have attracted significant interest due to their remarkable electronic and optical properties, exhibiting a direct band gap, enabling usability in electronics and optics. Their properties can be altered further by the introduction of lattice defects. In this work, the dynamics of the formation of electron-beam-induced lattice defects in monolayer WSe₂ are investigated by in-situ spherical and chromatic aberration-corrected low-voltage transmission electron microscopy. We show and analyze the electron-dose-limited life of a monolayer WSe₂ from the formation of isolated Se vacancies over extended defects such as vacancy lines, mirror twin boundaries (MTBs) and inversion domains towards the loss of W atoms leading to the formation of holes and finally the destruction of the monolayer. We identify, moreover, a new type of MTB. Our study extends the basic understanding of defect dynamics in monolayer WSe₂, sheds further light on the electron radiation response and suggests new ways for engineering the in-plane architecture of TMDs.