Selection of Support Materials for Uniform MoS2 Monolayer Formation by Chemical Vapor Deposition

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) and related layered materials have attracted increased attention due to their intriguing chemical, physical, electrical and optical properties. Here, we investigated the influence of surface properties, which are their morphology and chemical composition, on the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) synthesis of a uniform molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) monolayer on support materials with several structures, such as flat, tubular, and porous materials. We found that, even under similar CVD conditions, the structure of the as-synthesized MoS2 layer differed significantly between sapphire and SiO2/Si substrates. Raman and photoluminescence (PL) measurements demonstrate that the surface chemical composition contributed to the self-assembly crystal growth of MoS2, affecting layer stacking. Moreover, the MoS2 layer synthesis by CVD on tubular and porous materials is also demonstrated. This work provides insights into the CVD synthesis of uniform MoS2 monolayers on several support materials with the advantages of one-pod, non-transferrable, and compatible with direct applications.