Investigating the atomic structures and electronic properties of WS₂ thin films with sulfur vacancies via a neural network potential-aided first-principles study

Transition metal dichalcogenides are promising materials for high-performance electronics, whereas the impact of defects on their electronic properties remains elusive. Here, we employ neural network potentials (NNPs) constructed from density functional theory (DFT) data to investigate defect-laden WS 2 thin films. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that at low defect concentrations (S/W ratio of 1.9), single sulfur vacancies are predominant. Conversely, at high defect concentrations (S/W ratio of 1.7), complex defects with short lifetimes appear. Additionally, DFT results indicate that the band gap persists at S/W = 1.9 but disappears at 1.7, aligning with observed device degradation at high defect concentrations.