Monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are intrinsically piezoelectric within the plane of their atoms, but out-of-plane piezoelectric response should not occur due to the symmetry of the crystal structure. Recently, however, MoS2 was shown to exhibit out-of-plane electromechanical coupling consistent with the flexoelectric effect. In this study, MoSe2, WS2, and WSe2 are investigated to determine the existence and strength of out-of-plane electromechanical coupling in other monolayer TMD semiconductor materials. Piezoresponse force microscopy measurements show that monolayer MoS2, MoSe2, WS2, and WSe2 all exhibit out-of-plane electromechanical response. The relative magnitudes of their out-of-plane electromechanical couplings are calculated and compared with one another and to predictions made from a simple model of flexoelectricity. This simple model correctly predicts the magnitude of out-of-plane electromechanical response in these materials, and the measured values provide useful guidance for both more detailed understanding of flexoelectric response in monolayer TMDs, and assessment of their consequences in devices incorporating these materials.
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3 February 2020
Research Article|
February 03 2020
Out-of-plane electromechanical coupling in transition metal dichalcogenides
Christopher J. Brennan
;
Christopher J. Brennan
1
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Texas at Austin
, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
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Kalhan Koul;
Kalhan Koul
1
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Texas at Austin
, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
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Nanshu Lu
;
Nanshu Lu
a)
1
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Texas at Austin
, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
2
Center for Mechanics of Solids, Structures and Materials, Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, University of Texas at Austin
, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
3
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin
, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
4
Texas Materials Institute, University of Texas at Austin
, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
a)Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed: [email protected]. Tel.: 512-471-4208 and [email protected]. Tel.: 512-232-5167
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Edward T. Yu
Edward T. Yu
a)
1
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Texas at Austin
, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
4
Texas Materials Institute, University of Texas at Austin
, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
a)Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed: [email protected]. Tel.: 512-471-4208 and [email protected]. Tel.: 512-232-5167
Search for other works by this author on:
a)Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed: [email protected]. Tel.: 512-471-4208 and [email protected]. Tel.: 512-232-5167
Appl. Phys. Lett. 116, 053101 (2020)
Article history
Received:
October 29 2019
Accepted:
January 14 2020
Citation
Christopher J. Brennan, Kalhan Koul, Nanshu Lu, Edward T. Yu; Out-of-plane electromechanical coupling in transition metal dichalcogenides. Appl. Phys. Lett. 3 February 2020; 116 (5): 053101. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5134091
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