Epitaxial van der Waals contacts of 2D TaSe₂-WSe₂ metal-semiconductor heterostructures

The electronic contact between two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) semiconductors and metal electrodes is a formidable challenge due to the undesired Schottky barrier, which severely limits the electrical performance of TMD devices and impedes the exploration of their unconventional physical properties and potential electronic applications. In this study, we report a two-step chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth of 2D TaSe₂-WSe₂ metal-semiconductor heterostructures. Raman mapping confirms the precise spatial modulation of the as-grown 2D TaSe₂-WSe₂ heterostructures. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterization reveals that this two-step method provides a high-quality and clean interface of the 2D TaSe₂-WSe₂ heterostructures. Meanwhile, the upper 1T-TaSe₂ is formed heteroepitaxially on/around the pre-synthesized 2H-WSe₂ monolayers, exhibiting an epitaxial relationship of (20-20)_TaSe//(20-20)_WSe and [0001]_TaSe//[0001]_WSe. Furthermore, characterization studies using a Kelvin probe force microscope (KPFM) and electrical transport measurements present compelling evidence that the 2D metal-semiconductor heterostructures under investigation can improve the performance of electrical devices. These results bear substantial significance in augmenting the properties of field-effect transistors (FETs), leading to notable improvements in FET mobility and on/off ratio. Our study not only broadens the horizons of direct growth of high-quality 2D metal-semiconductor heterostructures but also sheds light on potential applications in future high-performance integrated circuits.