Dielectric Constant in Nanoscale Bubbles on MoS₂

Nanoscale bubbles form inevitably during the transfer of two-dimensional (2D) materials on a target substrate due to their van der Waals interaction. Despite a large number of studies based on nanobubble structures with localized strain, the dielectric constant (κ) in nanobubbles of MoS₂ is poorly understood. Here, we report κ measurements for nanobubbles on MoS₂ by probing the polarization forces based on electrostatic force microscopy. Remarkably, higher κ values of 6-8 independent of the nanobubble size are observed for the nanobubbles as compared to flat regions with a κ of ≈3. We find that the charge carrier increase owing to the strain-induced bandgap reduction is responsible for the enhanced κ of the nanobubbles, where the measured κ is in good agreement with the calculations based on the Clausius-Mossotti relation. Our results provide fundamental information about the strain-induced local dielectric properties of 2D materials and a guide for the design and fabrication of high-performance optoelectrical devices based on 2D materials.