Scanning Probe Nanopatterning and Layer-by-Layer Thinning of Black Phosphorus

Xiaolong Liu; Kan-Sheng Chen; Spencer A Wells; Itamar Balla; Jian Zhu; Joshua D Wood; Mark C Hersam

doi:10.1002/adma.201604121

Scanning Probe Nanopatterning and Layer-by-Layer Thinning of Black Phosphorus

Adv Mater. 2017 Jan;29(1). doi: 10.1002/adma.201604121. Epub 2016 Nov 4.

Authors

Xiaolong Liu¹, Kan-Sheng Chen², Spencer A Wells², Itamar Balla², Jian Zhu², Joshua D Wood², Mark C Hersam^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Applied Physics Graduate Program, Northwestern University, 2220 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.
² Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.
³ Department of Chemistry, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.

PMID: 27813243
DOI: 10.1002/adma.201604121

Abstract

Nanopatterning and layer-by-layer thinning of black phosphorus is demonstrated with conductive atomic-force-microscope anodic oxidation. The liquid-phase patterning byproduct is readily removed by water rinsing. An alternating-current bias enables direct nanopatterning and thinning on insulating substrates such as SiO₂ /Si. Field-effect transistors with patterned channels show significant improvements in current modulation by up to a factor of 50.

Keywords: 2D; conductive atomic force microscopy; nanolithography; phosphorene; phosphorus oxide; transistors.