Synthesis of Ultrathin MoO₂ Nanosheets via Chemical Vapor Deposition and Their Application to High-Performance Field-Effect Transistors

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are excellent candidates for electronic applications because of their high carrier mobility, tunable bandgap energy depending on the number of layers, monolayer thickness, and the absence of dangling bonds on their surfaces. Despite these advantages, the crystalline structures of TMDs contain intrinsic defects such as vacancies, adatoms, grain boundaries, and substitutional impurities, which can cause large contact resistance at the source/drain interface. Customized engineering of interfaces and defects, which provides a method to modulate the properties of TMDs, is crucial as it can significantly enhance device performance. Herein, we explored a novel electrode to enhance the interface between electrode and semiconductor materials. we report the synthesis of high-quality atomically thin MoO₂ using atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD) and its application to field-effect transistors. To improve crystallinity of MoO₂, we investigated the influence of hydrogen concentration, a key parameter in the reduction process, on the synthesis of high-crystallinity MoO₂. By adding NaCl to MoO₃ powder, we optimized the synthesis of high-crystallinity MoO₂. Utilizing the optimized MoO₂, we fabricated transistors that exhibited a mobility of 29.1 cm²/V∙s and an on/off ratio of 1.78 × 10⁴, demonstrating excellent performance. Our findings confirm that single-crystal MoO₂ can be effectively applied as a contact electrode in high-performance two-dimensional semiconductor devices.