Residue-free fabrication method of two-dimensional materials using van der Waals interactions

Abstract

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have received tremendous attention due to their unique properties and various applications. However, uncontrollable contaminations generated during the fabrication process can degrade the intrinsic performance of 2D materials. Here, we report an innovative fabrication approach for residue-free 2D materials utilizing van der Waals (vdW) interactions with molybdenum disulfide (MoS2). Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and optical characterizations confirmed the absence of residues, mechanical defects, and degradation. Additionally, various manipulation techniques, such as pick-up and release, exfoliation, stacking, cutting, wiping out, flipping, and stretching, were performed using the same material-based vdW pick-up stamp. Specifically, we demonstrated the feasibility of pick-up and release techniques for multilayer graphene (MLG) and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), enabling the successful fabrication of MLG/MoS2/hBN heterostructure with excellent quality. This clean approach offers the potential for ideal performance in 2D material and vdW heterostructures-based applications.