Showing papers by "Jong Hyun Ahn published in 2018"

Controlled crack propagation for atomic precision handling of wafer-scale two-dimensional materials

Abstract: Although flakes of two-dimensional (2D) heterostructures at the micrometer scale can be formed with adhesive-tape exfoliation methods, isolation of 2D flakes into monolayers is extremely time consuming because it is a trial-and-error process. Controlling the number of 2D layers through direct growth also presents difficulty because of the high nucleation barrier on 2D materials. We demonstrate a layer-resolved 2D material splitting technique that permits high-throughput production of multiple monolayers of wafer-scale (5-centimeter diameter) 2D materials by splitting single stacks of thick 2D materials grown on a single wafer. Wafer-scale uniformity of hexagonal boron nitride, tungsten disulfide, tungsten diselenide, molybdenum disulfide, and molybdenum diselenide monolayers was verified by photoluminescence response and by substantial retention of electronic conductivity. We fabricated wafer-scale van der Waals heterostructures, including field-effect transistors, with single-atom thickness resolution.

Two-dimensional materials in functional three-dimensional architectures with applications in photodetection and imaging.

Abstract: Efficient and highly functional three-dimensional systems that are ubiquitous in biology suggest that similar design architectures could be useful in electronic and optoelectronic technologies, extending their levels of functionality beyond those achievable with traditional, planar two-dimensional platforms. Complex three-dimensional structures inspired by origami, kirigami have promise as routes for two-dimensional to three-dimensional transformation, but current examples lack the necessary combination of functional materials, mechanics designs, system-level architectures, and integration capabilities for practical devices with unique operational features. Here, we show that two-dimensional semiconductor/semi-metal materials can play critical roles in this context, through demonstrations of complex, mechanically assembled three-dimensional systems for light-imaging capabilities that can encompass measurements of the direction, intensity and angular divergence properties of incident light. Specifically, the mechanics of graphene and MoS2, together with strategically configured supporting polymer films, can yield arrays of photodetectors in distinct, engineered three-dimensional geometries, including octagonal prisms, octagonal prismoids, and hemispherical domes.

Flexible active-matrix organic light-emitting diode display enabled by MoS2 thin-film transistor

Abstract: Atomically thin molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) has been extensively investigated in semiconductor electronics but has not been applied in a backplane circuitry of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display. Its applicability as an active drive element is hampered by the large contact resistance at the metal/MoS2 interface, which hinders the transport of carriers at the dielectric surface, which in turn considerably deteriorates the mobility. Modified switching device architecture is proposed for efficiently exploiting the high-k dielectric Al2O3 layer, which, when integrated in an active matrix, can drive the ultrathin OLED display even in dynamic folding states. The proposed architecture exhibits 28 times increase in mobility compared to a normal back-gated thin-film transistor, and its potential as a wearable display attached to a human wrist is demonstrated.

CVD-grown monolayer MoS2 in bioabsorbable electronics and biosensors

Abstract: Transient electronics represents an emerging technology whose defining feature is an ability to dissolve, disintegrate or otherwise physically disappear in a controlled manner. Envisioned applications include resorbable/degradable biomedical implants, hardware-secure memory devices, and zero-impact environmental sensors. 2D materials may have essential roles in these systems due to their unique mechanical, thermal, electrical, and optical properties. Here, we study the bioabsorption of CVD-grown monolayer MoS2, including long-term cytotoxicity and immunological biocompatibility evaluations in biofluids and tissues of live animal models. The results show that MoS2 undergoes hydrolysis slowly in aqueous solutions without adverse biological effects. We also present a class of MoS2-based bioabsorbable and multi-functional sensor for intracranial monitoring of pressure, temperature, strain, and motion in animal models. Such technology offers specific, clinically relevant roles in diagnostic/therapeutic functions during recovery from traumatic brain injury. Our findings support the broader use of 2D materials in transient electronics and qualitatively expand the design options in other areas.

Stacking-controllable interlayer coupling and symmetric configuration of multilayered MoS2

Abstract: The stacking order in layered transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) induces variations in the electronic and interlayer couplings. Therefore, controlling the stacking orientations when synthesizing TMDCs is desirable but remains a significant challenge. Here, we developed and showed the growth kinetics of different shapes and stacking orders in as-grown multi-stacked MoS2 crystals and revealed the stacking-order-induced interlayer separations, spin–orbit couplings (SOCs), and symmetry variations. Raman spectra in AA(A…)-stacked crystals demonstrated blueshifted out-of-plane (A1g) and in-plane (E2g1) phonon frequencies, representing a greater reduction of the van der Waals gap compared to conventional AB(A…)-stacking. Our observations, together with first-principles calculations, revealed distinct excitonic phenomena due to various stacking orientations. As a result, the photoluminescence emission was improved in the AA(A…)-stacking configuration. Additionally, calculations showed that the valence-band maxima (VBM) at the K point of the AA(A…)-stacking configuration was separated into multiple sub-bands, indicating the presence of stronger SOC. We demonstrated that AA(A…)-stacking emitted an intense second-harmonic signal (SHG) as a fingerprint of the more augmented non-centrosymmetric stacking and enabled SOC-induced splitting at the VBM. We further highlighted the superiority of four-wave mixing-correlated SHG microscopy to quickly resolve the symmetries and multi-domain crystalline phases of differently shaped crystals. Our study based on crystals with different shapes and multiple stacking configurations provides a new avenue for development of future optoelectronic devices. A method for investigating the relative alignment of stacks of two-dimensional layers has been developed by researchers in Korea. Two-dimensional materials, those just a single atom thick, have a host of unusual electronic and optical properties. Placing two-dimensional materials on top of each other to create thicker films offers a way to engineer further novel materials, but the properties of these stacks depend crucially on the relative orientation of each layer. Jong-Hyun Ahn from Yonsei University and colleagues synthesized stacks of molybdenum disulfide monolayers with various angular alignments using a technique called atmospheric-pressure chemical vapor deposition. They then characterized the structures optically and measured a gradual spectroscopic evolution induced by the varying the arrangement. This insight will be useful for designing future optoelectronic devices based on molybdenum disulfide monolayers. NaCl-assisted APCVD technique to synthesize multi-stacked MoS2 crystals with different stacking orientations and shape has been developed. We found that the stacking orientation of multi-stacked MoS2 crystals shows the underlying variation in the crystalline phases, symmetry inversion, spin–orbit coupling and interlayer interactions through intensive optical study based on Raman spectroscopy, PL spectroscopy and nonlinear technique of FWM correlated SHG imaging technique. Our study based on the crystals with different shape and multiple stacking configurations provide a new avenue for the possibilities of future optoelectronic devices.

Graphene-based flexible and wearable electronics *

Abstract: Graphene with an exceptional combination of electronic, optical and outstanding mechanical features has been proved to lead a completely different kind of 2-D electronics. The most exciting feature of graphene is its ultra-thin thickness, that can be conformally contacted to any kind of rough surface without losing much of its transparency and conductivity. Graphene has been explored demonstrating various prototype flexible electronic applications, however, its potentiality has been proven wherever transparent conductive electrodes (TCEs) are needed in a flexible, stretchable format. Graphene-based TCEs in flexible electronic applications showed greatly superior performance over their conventionally available competitor indium tin oxide (ITO). Moreover, enormous applications have been emerging, especially in wearable devices that can be potentially used in our daily life as well as in biomedical areas. However, the production of high-quality, defect-free large area graphene is still a challenge and the main hurdle in the commercialization of flexible and wearable products. The objective of the present review paper is to summarize the progress made so far in graphene-based flexible and wearable applications. The current developments including challenges and future perspectives are also highlighted.

Recent Advances in Tactile Sensing Technology

Abstract: Research on tactile sensing technology has been actively conducted in recent years to pave the way for the next generation of highly intelligent devices. Sophisticated tactile sensing technology has a broad range of potential applications in various fields including: (1) robotic systems with tactile sensors that are capable of situation recognition for high-risk tasks in hazardous environments; (2) tactile quality evaluation of consumer products in the cosmetic, automobile, and fabric industries that are used in everyday life; (3) robot-assisted surgery (RAS) to facilitate tactile interaction with the surgeon; and (4) artificial skin that features a sense of touch to help people with disabilities who suffer from loss of tactile sense. This review provides an overview of recent advances in tactile sensing technology, which is divided into three aspects: basic physiology associated with human tactile sensing, the requirements for the realization of viable tactile sensors, and new materials for tactile devices. In addition, the potential, hurdles, and major challenges of tactile sensing technology applications including artificial skin, medical devices, and analysis tools for human tactile perception are presented in detail. Finally, the review highlights possible routes, rapid trends, and new opportunities related to tactile devices in the foreseeable future.

Degradation behaviors and mechanisms of MoS2 crystals relevant to bioabsorbable electronics

Abstract: Monolayer molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) exhibits unique semiconducting and bioresorption properties, giving this material enormous potential for electronic/biomedical applications, such as bioabsorbable electronics. In this regard, understanding the degradation performance of monolayer MoS2 in biofluids allows modulation of the properties and lifetime of related bioabsorbable devices and systems. Herein, the degradation behaviors and mechanisms of monolayer MoS2 crystals with different misorientation angles are explored. High-angle grain boundaries (HAGBs) biodegrade faster than low-angle grain boundaries (LAGBs), exhibiting degraded edges with wedge and zigzag shapes, respectively. Triangular pits that formed in the degraded grains have orientations opposite to those of the parent crystals, and these pits grow into larger pits laterally. These behaviors indicate that the degradation is induced and propagated based on intrinsic defects, such as grain boundaries and point defects, because of their high chemical reactivity due to lattice breakage and the formation of dangling bonds. High densities of dislocations and point defects lead to high chemical reactivity and faster degradation. The structural cause of MoS2 degradation is studied, and a feasible approach to study changes in the properties and lifetime of MoS2 by controlling the defect type and density is presented. The results can thus be used to promote the widespread use of two-dimensional materials in bioabsorption applications. The mechanism by which two-dimensional electronic materials decompose in an environment similar to that inside the human body has been identified by researchers in South Korea. Biodegradable, or transient, electronic devices disappear when no longer needed. In biomedical applications, for example, a transient sensor in the body degrades or dissolves, eliminating the need for surgery to remove it. Jong-Hyun Ahn from Yonsei University in Seoul and co-workers investigated the degradation of crystals of the two-dimensional semiconductor molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), each having the triangular shape. They showed that the rate of decomposition is dependent on the angle of misalignment between the two crystals: crystals with a larger misalignment biodegrade faster than those more closely aligned. This behavior indicates that intrinsic defects in the atomic structure of the material are the cause of the degradation. We present the degradation behaviors and mechanisms of CVD-grown monolayer MoS2 crystals relevant to bioabsorbable electronics, triggered and extended based on the intrinsic defects such as grain boundaries and point defects for their high chemical reactivity caused by broken lattice and dangling bonds. Higher misorientation angle leads to higher degradation speed. This work paves the way for lifetime modulation and bioabsorbable device application by using 2D materials.

Transient SHG Imaging on Ultrafast Carrier Dynamics of MoS2 Nanosheets

Abstract: Understanding the collaborative behaviors of the excitons and phonons that result from light-matter interactions is important for interpreting and optimizing the underlying fundamental physics at work in devices made from atomically thin materials. In this study, the generation of exciton-coupled phonon vibration from molybdenum disulfide (MoS2 ) nanosheets in a pre-excitonic resonance condition is reported. A strong rise-to-decay profile for the transient second-harmonic generation (TSHG) of the probe pulse is achieved by applying substantial (20%) beam polarization normal to the nanosheet plane, and tuning the wavelength of the pump beam to the absorption of the A-exciton. The time-dependent TSHG signals clearly exhibit acoustic phonon generation at vibration modes below 10 cm-1 (close to the Γ point) after the photoinduced energy is transferred from exciton to phonon in a nonradiative fashion. Interestingly, by observing the TSHG signal oscillation period from MoS2 samples of varying thicknesses, the speed of the supersonic waves generated in the out-of-plane direction (Mach 8.6) is generated. Additionally, TSHG microscopy reveals critical information about the phase and amplitude of the acoustic phonons from different edge chiralities (armchair and zigzag) of the MoS2 monolayers. This suggests that the technique could be used more broadly to study ultrafast physics and chemistry in low-dimensional materials and their hybrids with ultrahigh fidelity.

Probing the upper band gap of atomic rhenium disulfide layers

Abstract: Here, we investigate the ultrafast carrier dynamics and electronic states of exfoliated ReS2 films using time-resolved second harmonic generation (TSHG) microscopy and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The second harmonic generation (SHG) of layers with various thicknesses is probed using a 1.19-eV beam. Up to ~13 nm, a gradual increment is observed, followed by a decrease caused by bulk interferometric light absorption. The addition of a pump pulse tuned to the exciton band gap (1.57 eV) creates a decay-to-rise TSHG profile as a function of the probe delay. The power and thickness dependencies indicate that the electron–hole recombination is mediated by defects and surfaces. The two photon absorptions of 2.38 eV in the excited state that are induced by pumping from 1.57 to 1.72 eV are restricted because these transitions highly correlate with the forbidden d–d intrasubshell orbital transitions. However, the combined usage of a frequency-doubled pump (2.38 eV) with wavelength-variant SHG probes (2.60–2.82 eV) allows us to vividly monitor the variations in TSHG profiles from decay-to-rise to rise-to-decay, which imply the existence of an additional electron absorption state (s-orbital) at an approximate distance of 5.05 eV from the highest occupied molecular orbital states. This observation was critically examined by considering the allowance of each electronic transition and a small upper band gap (~0.5 eV) using modified DFT calculations. Scientists have investigated the electronic and optical properties of ultrathin films of rhenium disulfide (ReS2) and could lead to new devices for use in optoelectronic applications. Unlike other transition metal dichalcogenides like MoS2, ReS2 maintains its direct band gap even its bulk form allowing it to emit and absorb light easily and making it attractive for use in photovoltaic devices. This led Jong-Hyun Ahn from Yonsei University and the collaborators in DGIST (Hyunmin Kim and Jaedong Lee) in South Korea to explore the properties of ReS2 crystals using pump-probe time-resolved second harmonic generation microscopy. Observing the ultrafast intra-conduction band transitions, the researchers confirmed the existence of the high-energy band gap in bilayers of ReS2, leading to their potential for use in a range of optoelectronic applications, including solar cells and light emitting diodes.

Orientation-dependent optical characterization of atomically thin transition metal ditellurides.

Abstract: Molybdenum ditellurides (MoTe2) have recently attracted attention owing to their excellent structurally tunable nature between 1T'(metallic)- and 2H(semiconducting)-phases; thus, the controllable fabrication and critical identification of MoTe2 are highly desired. Here, we semi-controllably synthesized 1T'- and 2H-MoTe2 crystals using the atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD) technique and studied their grain-orientation dependency using polarization-sensitive optical microscopy, Raman scattering, and second-harmonic generation (SHG) microspectroscopy. The polycrystalline 1T'-MoTe2 phase with quasi-1D "Mo-Mo" zigzag chains showed anisotropic optical absorption, leading to a clear visualization of the lattice domains. On the other hand, 2H-MoTe2 lattice grains did not exhibit any discernible difference under polarized light illumination. The combined aforementioned microscopy techniques could be used as an easy-to-access and non-destructive tool for a quick and solid identification of intended lattice orientation development in industry-scale MoTe2 crystal manufacturing.

Universality of strain-induced anisotropic friction domains on 2D materials

Abstract: Van der Waals two-dimensional (2D) materials have shown various physical characteristics depending on their growth methods and conditions. Among those characteristics, the surface structural properties are crucial for the application of 2D materials, as the surface structures readily affect their atomic arrangements and/or interaction with substrates due to their atomic-scale thicknesses. Here, we report on the anisotropic friction domains of MoS2 grown not only by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) under various sulfur pressure conditions but also by a mechanical exfoliation process. The 180° periodicity of each domain and the 60° shift between adjacent domains indicate the presence of linearly aligned structures along the armchair direction of MoS2, which is determined by the optical second-harmonic generation method. The anisotropic friction domains of CVD-grown MoS2 flakes may be attributed to linearly aligned ripples caused by an inhomogeneous strain field distribution, which is due, in turn, to randomly formed nucleation sites on the substrate. The universality of the anisotropic frictional behaviors of 2D materials, including graphene, hBN, and WS2 with honeycomb lattice stacking, which differ from ReSe2 with a distorted triclinic 1T’ structure, supports our assumption based on the linearly aligned ripples along the crystallographic axes, which result from an inhomogeneous strain field. By measuring friction forces on graphene-like surfaces, South Korean researchers have uncovered evidence of ripple structures too tiny to see with typical electron microscopes. Devices made from two-dimensional (2D) materials often perform at less than their full theoretical potential. Bae Ho Park from Konkuk University in Seoul and colleagues suggest this discrepancy may arise from strain-induced patterns which appear when ultrathin crystals are deposited onto supports including silicon or glass. The team investigated 2D molybdenum disulfide surfaces with scanning probe microscopy to both record atomic-level topography and measure the transverse forces experienced by the moving probe tip. The resulting images revealed periodic frictional domains with geometries that suggest the presence of underlying surface ripples. These structures, which also appeared during scans of graphene and other films, can affect the electrical properties of 2D materials. We report on the anisotropic friction domains of MoS2 not only grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) under various sulfur pressure conditions, but also by mechanical exfoliation process. The 180° periodicity of each domain and the 60° shift between adjacent domains indicate the presence of linearly aligned structures along the armchair direction of MoS2. The universality of anisotropic frictional behaviors of 2D materials, including graphene, hBN, and WS2 with stacking honeycomb lattices supports our assumption based on linearly aligned ripples along the crystallographic axes, which result from an inhomogeneous strain field.

Epidural Electrotherapy for Epilepsy

Abstract: Penetrating electronics have been used for treating epilepsy, yet their therapeutic effects are debated largely due to the lack of a large-scale, real-time, and safe recording/stimulation. Here, the proposed technology integrates ultrathin epidural electronics into an electrocorticography array, therein simultaneously sampling brain signals in a large area for diagnostic purposes and delivering electrical pulses for treatment. The system is empirically tested to record the ictal-like activities of the thalamocortical network in vitro and in vivo using the epidural electronics. Also, it is newly demonstrated that the electronics selectively diminish epileptiform activities, but not normal signal transduction, in live animals. It is proposed that this technology heralds a new generation of diagnostic and therapeutic brain-machine interfaces. Such an electronic system can be applicable for several brain diseases such as tinnitus, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, depression, and schizophrenia.

Layout influence on microwave performance of graphene field effect transistors

Abstract: The authors report on an in-depth statistical and parametrical investigation on the microwave performance of graphene FETs on sapphire substrate. The devices differ for the gate-drain/source distance and for the gate length, having kept instead the gate width constant. Microwave S -parameters have been measured for the different devices. Their results demonstrate that the cut-off frequency does not monotonically increase with the scaling of the device geometry and that it exists an optimal region in the gate-drain/source and gate-length space which maximises the microwave performance.