Exploring the Surface Oxidation and Environmental Instability of 2H‐/1T’‐MoTe2 Using Field Emission‐Based Scanning Probe Lithography

Abstract

AbstractAn unconventional approach for the resistless nanopatterning 2H‐ and 1T’‐MoTe2 by means of scanning probe lithography is presented. A Fowler–Nordheim tunneling current of low energetic electrons (E = 30–60 eV) emitted from the tip of an atomic force microscopy (AFM) cantilever is utilized to induce a nanoscale oxidation on a MoTe2 nanosheet surface under ambient conditions. Due to the water solubility of the generated oxide, a direct pattern transfer into the MoTe2 surface can be achieved by a simple immersion of the sample in deionized water. The tip‐grown oxide is characterized using Auger electron and Raman spectroscopy, revealing it consists of amorphous MoO3/MoOx as well as TeO2/TeOx. With the presented technology in combination with subsequent AFM imaging it is possible to demonstrate a strong anisotropic sensitivity of 1T’‐/(Td)‐MoTe2 to aqueous environments. Finally the discussed approach is used to structure a nanoribbon field effect transistor out of a few‐layer 2H‐MoTe2 nanosheet.