Wafer-scale Integration of Single-Crystalline MoS$_2$ for Flexible Electronics Enabled by Oxide Dry-transfer

Abstract

Atomically thin, single-crystalline transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) grown via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on sapphire substrates exhibit exceptional mechanical and electrical properties, positioning them as excellent channel materials for flexible electronics. However, conventional wet-transfer processes for integrating these materials onto flexible substrates often introduce surface contamination, significantly degrading device performance. Here, we present a wafer-scale dry-transfer technique using a high-dielectric oxide as the transfer medium, enabling the integration of 4-inch single-crystalline MoS$_2$ onto flexible substrates. This method eliminates contact with polymers or solvents, thus preserving the intrinsic electronic properties of MoS$_2$. As a result, the fabricated flexible field-effect transistor (FET) arrays exhibit remarkable performance, with a mobility of 117 cm$^2$/Vs, a subthreshold swing of 68.8 mV dec$^{-1}$, and an ultra-high current on/off ratio of $10^{12}$-values comparable to those achieved on rigid substrates. Leveraging the outstanding electrical characteristics, we demonstrated MoS$_2$-based flexible inverters operating in the subthreshold regime, achieving both a high gain of 218 and ultra-low power consumption of 1.4 pW/$\mu$m. Additionally, we integrated a flexible tactile sensing system driven by active-matrix MoS$_2$ FET arrays onto a robotic gripper, enabling real-time object identification. These findings demonstrate the simultaneous achievement of high electrical performance and flexibility, highlighting the immense potential of single-crystalline TMDC-based flexible electronics for real-world applications.