Edge contacts to multilayer MoS2 using in situ Ar ion beam

The dimensional scaling of transistors has been a continuous effort for decades. For devices at the sub-5 nm scale, two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides, including MoS
₂
, show great promise for preserving electrostatic control and performance. Numerous studies have theoretically [1] and experimentally [2] investigated the effect of short channel and contact lengths on the MoS
₂
transistor performance. Though it has been recognized that edge contacts could drastically decrease contact resistance and improve performance of MoS
₂
FETs [1], no experimental work has demonstrated pure edge contacts to this layered semiconductor using in situ etching. In this work, we demonstrate partial and full edge-contacted multilayer MoS
₂
FETs by using an in situ Ar ion beam.