High-Performance Complementary Circuits from Two-Dimensional MoTe₂.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Condensed Matter Physics
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Two-dimensional (2D) materials are promising for next-generation electronics.
• Tuning Schottky barriers is crucial for complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) circuits.
• Developing complementary circuits from a single 2D material remains challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the intrinsic electrical properties of Molybdenum Ditelluride (MoTe2) field-effect transistors (FETs).
• To develop a method for creating both n-type and p-type FETs from MoTe2 for complementary circuits.
• To demonstrate the feasibility of MoTe2-based complementary logic circuits.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of MoTe2 field-effect transistors (FETs) with minimized air exposure.
• Characterization of pristine MoTe2 FETs to determine their intrinsic polarity.
• Application of a nitric oxide (NO) doping strategy to tune MoTe2 FETs from n-type to p-type.
• Fabrication and testing of a complementary inverter circuit using MoTe2 n-FETs and p-FETs.

Main Results:

• Pristine MoTe2 FETs exhibit n-type behavior regardless of metal contact, with electron currents up to 275 μA/μm.
• Nitric oxide doping successfully converts MoTe2 FETs to unipolar p-type.
• Doped p-FETs achieve hole currents of 170 μA/μm with high on/off ratios (10^5).
• A functional complementary inverter circuit was demonstrated using MoTe2.

Conclusions:

• MoTe2 can be effectively utilized for both n-type and p-type transistors.
• Nitric oxide doping offers a viable strategy for controlling MoTe2 FET polarity.
• MoTe2 is a promising 2D material for advanced CMOS technology and future electronic systems.