Effect of physical vapor deposition on contacts to 2D MoS2

Two-dimensional (2D) molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) holds immense promise for next-generation electronic applications. However, the role of contact deposition at the metal/semiconductor interface remains a critical factor influencing device performance. This study investigates the impact of different metal deposition techniques, specifically electron-beam evaporation and sputtering, for depositing Cu, Pd, Bi, Sn, Pt, and In. Utilizing Raman spectroscopy with backside illumination, we observe changes at the buried metal/1L MoS2 interface after metal deposition. Sputter deposition causes more damage to monolayer MoS2 than electron-beam evaporation, as indicated by partial or complete disappearance of first-order E′(Γ)α and A′1(Γ)α Raman modes post-deposition. We correlated the degree of damage from sputtered atoms to the cohesive energies of the sputtered material. Through fabrication and testing of field-effect transistors, we demonstrate that electron-beam evaporated Sn/Au contacts exhibit superior performance including reduced contact resistance (~12×), enhanced mobility (~4.3×), and lower subthreshold slope (~0.6×) compared to their sputtered counterparts. Our findings underscore the importance of contact fabrication methods for optimizing the performance of 2D MoS2 devices and the value of Raman spectroscopy with backside illumination for gaining insight into contact performance.