Wafer-scale MoS2 thin layers prepared by MoO3 sulfurization

Atomically thin molybdenum disulfide (MoS(2)) layers have attracted great interest due to their direct-gap property and potential applications in optoelectronics and energy harvesting. Meanwhile, they are extremely bendable, promising for applications in flexible electronics. However, the synthetic approach to obtain large-area MoS(2) atomic thin layers is still lacking. Here we report that wafer-scale MoS(2) thin layers can be obtained using MoO(3) thin films as a starting material followed by a two-step thermal process, reduction of MoO(3) at 500 °C in hydrogen and sulfurization at 1000 °C in the presence of sulfur. Spectroscopic, optical and electrical characterizations reveal that these films are polycrystalline and with semiconductor properties. The obtained MoS(2) films are uniform in thickness and easily transferable to arbitrary substrates, which make such films suitable for flexible electronics or optoelectronics.