Nano Explorations: Van der Waals integration beyond the limits of van der Waals forces—Dec. 13

Van der Waals integration beyond the limits of van der Waals forces

Tuesday, December 13, 2022
11 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. ET
>>Register for this Zoom webinar.

Peter Satterthwaite, PhD candidate
Electrical Engineering & Computer Science

Realizing the full potential of electronic devices based on two-dimensional (2D) materials requires the fabrication of pristine interfaces between 2D and bulk materials. By creating interfaces held together by the universal van der Waals force, heterostructures of diverse materials can be realized, opening new functionalities and improved performance. Though universal, the van der Waals force is weak and cannot be tuned independently of the properties of the constituent materials, meaning the direct van der Waals integration of arbitrary materials is not possible. Conventional fabrication approaches address this through transfer with polymers/solvents, and device integration through damaging post-transfer processing, elements that can lead to device performance limited by processing artifacts rather than fundamental materials properties. 

This talk presents an alternative fabrication approach that allows for direct integration of 2D materials into van der Waals devices in a pristine, dry, and scalable manner. This single-step material-to-device integration is achieved by decoupling the forces inducing the 2D material transfer from the van der Waals forces at the interface of interest. Using this adhesive matrix transfer approach, Satterthwaite will present conventionally-forbidden van der Waals integration of diverse 2D (MoS2, WSe2, GaS, and graphene) and bulk (gold, SiO2, Al2O3) materials. He will further highlight the prospects of this approach for direct 2D material integration into pristine electronic devices through an example of MoS2 transistors demonstrated on both rigid and flexible substrates. 

Attendees can join and participate in the series via Zoom. 

>>See the upcoming schedule and watch past talks.