High-temperature performance of MoS₂ thin-film transistors: Direct current and pulse current-voltage characteristics

We report on fabrication of MoS₂ thin-film transistors (TFTs) and experimental investigations of their high-temperature current-voltage characteristics. The measurements show that MoS₂ devices remain functional to temperatures of at least as high as 500 K. The temperature increase results in decreased threshold voltage and mobility. The comparison of the direct current (DC) and pulse measurements shows that the direct current sub-linear and super-linear output characteristics of MoS₂ thin-films devices result from the Joule heating and the interplay of the threshold voltage and mobility temperature dependences. At temperatures above 450 K, a kink in the drain current occurs at zero gate voltage irrespective of the threshold voltage value. This intriguing phenomenon, referred to as a “memory step,” was attributed to the slow relaxation processes in thin films similar to those in graphene and electron glasses. The fabricated MoS₂ thin-film transistors demonstrated stable operation after two months of aging. The obtained results suggest new applications for MoS₂ thin-film transistors in extreme-temperature electronics and sensors.