Two-dimensional (2D) semiconductor crystals have been attracting considerable research interests due to their intriguing properties and potential application in diverse technological areas. Compared with the traditional processing technology based on evaporation and lithography, printed electronics has received extensive attention due to its cost-effectiveness, flexibility and compatibility with different substrates. However, the current printed two-dimensional transistors are restricted by poor performance, thicker semiconductor layers and low device density.
Recently, Prof. SONG Yanlin and Associate Prof. Lihong Li from the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ICCAS) and collaborators proposed an interface capture effect printing strategy and established a three solvent phase diagram of surface tension and component ratio, to directly print patterns arranged continuously and evenly with one or two layers of 2D MoS₂ sheets. The printed MoS₂ transistors showed high mobility of up to 6.7 cm²·V^-1·s^-1 and an on/off ratio of 2×10⁶ under ambient conditions, greatly exceeding the electrical performance obtained from previously printed MoS₂ thin-film transistors.
At the same time, high-density printed transistor arrays were prepared. This interface capture effect printing strategy can be applied to other 2D materials, providing a new method and idea for printing 2D material electronic devices.
This research work has been recently published in Advanced Materials (Interface Capture Effect Printing Atomic‐Thick 2D Semiconductor Thin Films 2022).

Interface capture effect and printing 2D atomic-thick semiconducting thin-film transistors (Image by LI Lihong)

Contact:
Prof. SONG Yanlin, LI Lihong
Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Email: ylsong@iccas.ac.cn, lilihong1209@iccas.ac.cn