Wafer-scale P-type MoS2 monolayers achieved via controllable niobium doping in metal-organic chemical vapor deposition

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), a prominent two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC), offers significant potential for next-generation nanoelectronic and optoelectronic devices due to its tunable electronic properties and atomic-scale thickness. While n-type MoS2 has been extensively studied, achieving stable p-type MoS2 is equally critical for enabling complementary logic circuits and complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology based on 2D materials. However, p-type doping in MoS2 remains challenging due to difficulties in achieving uniform, scalable doping with precise control over electronic properties. In this work, we demonstrate the metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) growth of wafer-scale Nb-doped MoS2 films with substitutional incorporation of Nb atoms, achieving uniform p-type behavior with precise doping control. Our Nb-doped MoS2 films demonstrate a clear transition from n-type to p-type with increasing doping levels, placing them among the well-performing p-type MoS2 films reported to date. A thermodynamic-kinetic model is developed to simulate the substitution behavior of Nb atoms on the MoS2 surface, revealing a clear doping correlation governed by growth temperature and precursor pressure, and offering theoretical guidance for optimizing substitution efficiency. This study represents a significant advancement in fabricating scalable, wafer-scale 2D materials with controllable doping, paving the way for the integration of TMDCs into next-generation low-power, flexible, and transparent electronics. Achieving stable p-type doping in MoS₂ is crucial for enabling complementary logic circuits but remains substantially more challenging than n-type doping. Here, the authors demonstrate metal-organic chemical vapor deposition growth of wafer-scale Nb-doped MoS₂ films with uniform p-type behavior, offering a thermodynamic-kinetic model for doping control, thereby advancing scalable 2D materials for low-power, flexible electronics.