Two-dimensional van der Waals electrical contact to monolayer MoSi2N4

A two-dimensional (2D) MoSi2N4 monolayer is an emerging class of air-stable 2D semiconductors possessing exceptional electrical and mechanical properties. Despite intensive recent research effort devoted to uncover the material properties of MoSi2N4, the physics of electrical contacts to MoSi2N4 remains largely unexplored thus far. In this work, we study van der Waals heterostructures composed of MoSi2N4 contacted by graphene and NbS2 monolayers using first-principles density functional theory calculations. We show that the MoSi2N4/NbS2 contact exhibits an ultralow Schottky barrier height (SBH), which is beneficial for nanoelectronics applications. For the MoSi2N4/graphene contact, the SBH can be modulated via the interlayer distance or via external electric fields, thus opening up an opportunity for reconfigurable and tunable nanoelectronic devices. Our findings provide insights into the physics of 2D electrical contacts to MoSi2N4 and shall offer a critical first step toward the design of high-performance electrical contacts to MoSi2N4-based 2D nanodevices.