Wafer-Scale Freestanding Monocrystalline Chalcogenide Membranes by Strain-Assisted Epitaxy and Spalling

Monocrystalline chalcogenide thin films in freestanding forms are very much needed in advanced electronics such as flexible phase change memories (PCMs). However, they are difficult to manufacture in a scalable manner due to their growth and delamination challenges. Herein, we report a viable strategy for a wafer-scale epitaxial growth of monocrystalline germanium telluride (GeTe) membranes and their deterministic integrations onto flexible substrates. GeTe films are epitaxially grown on Ge wafers via a tellurization reaction accompanying a formation of confined dislocations along GeTe/Ge interfaces. The as-grown films are subsequently delaminated off the wafers, preserving their wafer-scale structural integrity, enabled by a strain-engineered spalling method that leverages the stress-concentrated dislocations. The versatility of this wafer epitaxy and delamination approach is further expanded to manufacture other chalcogenide membranes, such as germanium selenide (GeSe). These materials exhibit phase change-driven electrical switching characteristics even in freestanding forms, opening up unprecedented opportunities for flexible PCM technologies.