Scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy on MoS₂ embedded nanowire formed in CVD-grown Mo₁₋ <i> _x </i>W<i> _x </i>S₂ alloy

Abstract

MoS2 embedded nanowires formed in a transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) layered semiconductor of Mo1− x W x S2 alloy grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on graphite were observed for the first time. Three nanowires radiated outward from the center of each triangular Mo1− x W x S2 island to its three corners, suggesting that they were formed during the growth process. The bandgap energy in the wires was 2.38 eV, 0.03 eV narrower than the average bandgap energy in the region surrounding the nanowire. The observed results suggest the possibility of designing embedded nanostructures in a TMDC by controlling the growth conditions, which should lead to further advances in TMDC materials for the development of new types of devices.