Nanoimprint-induced strain engineering of two-dimensional materials

The high stretchability of two-dimensional (2D) materials has facilitated the possibility of using external strain to manipulate their properties. Hence, strain engineering has emerged as a promising technique for tailoring the performance of 2D materials by controlling the applied elastic strain field. Although various types of strain engineering methods have been proposed, deterministic and controllable generation of the strain in 2D materials remains a challenging task. Here, we report a nanoimprint-induced strain engineering (NISE) strategy for introducing controllable periodic strain profiles on 2D materials. A three-dimensional (3D) tunable strain is generated in a molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) sheet by pressing and conforming to the topography of an imprint mold. Different strain profiles generated in MoS₂ are demonstrated and verified by Raman and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The strain modulation capability of NISE is investigated by changing the imprint pressure and the patterns of the imprint molds, which enables precise control of the strain magnitudes and distributions in MoS₂. Furthermore, a finite element model is developed to simulate the NISE process and reveal the straining behavior of MoS₂. This deterministic and effective strain engineering technique can be easily extended to other materials and is also compatible with common semiconductor fabrication processes; therefore, it provides prospects for advances in broad nanoelectronic and optoelectronic devices.