Chemical Vapor Deposition of Molybdenum Diselenide Nanostructures

Chemical vapour deposition (CVD) has emerged as a versatile method to synthesise high-quality molybdenum diselenide (MoSe₂) nanostructures, ranging from monolayers to multilayer films and heterojunction architectures. By controlling parameters such as precursor ratio, substrate temperature and carrier-gas flow, researchers can fine-tune nucleation density, crystallinity and layer thickness. Atomically thin MoSe₂ exhibits a transition from an indirect to a direct bandgap, enabling strong photoluminescence and promising optoelectronic properties. CVD-grown MoSe₂ structures have demonstrated high photoresponsivity, rapid response times in photodetectors, and efficient charge transport in thin-film transistors. Recent progress focuses on wafer-scale uniformity, precise nucleation control and integration into silicon-based and van der Waals heterostructures, underscoring the material’s significance for next-generation electronics, photonics and energy-conversion technologies.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Investigations into CVD-grown MoSe₂ have elucidated the interplay between growth conditions and device performance. Studies of few-layer MoSe₂ on silicon oxide substrates revealed that precise adjustment of temperature and precursor flux yields films with uniform thickness, low defect density and strong Raman and photoluminescence signatures. These films, when incorporated into p-i-n heterojunctions, exhibit rectifying behaviour and a measurable photovoltaic effect, indicating potential for low-cost solar cells. In parallel, multilayer MoSe₂ phototransistors fabricated via CVD have shown exceptional photoresponsivity and millisecond-scale response times, attributed to engineered charge trapping at the metal–semiconductor interface and efficient photogating. Such advances demonstrate the feasibility of tailoring CVD protocols to produce MoSe₂ nanostructures with optimised optoelectronic properties.

Chemical Vapor Deposition of Molybdenum Diselenide Nanostructures publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in chemical vapor deposition of molybdenum diselenide nanostructures across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Chemical vapour deposition (CVD): A synthesis technique in which vapour-phase precursors react or decompose on a heated substrate to form solid thin films with controlled composition and structure.

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs): Layered materials of the form MX₂ (M = transition metal, X = chalcogen) that display unique electronic and optical properties when thinned to one or few layers.

Monolayer: A single atomic layer of a material, often exhibiting distinct electronic and optical behaviour compared to its bulk counterpart.

Photogating effect: A mechanism in which photo-induced charge carriers become trapped, modulating channel conductivity and boosting phototransistor responsivity.

Photoresponsivity: The ratio of electrical output current to incident optical power in a photodetector, indicating its sensitivity to light.

References

1. CVD synthesis of large-area, highly crystalline MoSe 2 atomic layers on diverse substrates and application to photodetectors. Nanoscale (2014).
2. Highly Crystalline CVD-grown Multilayer MoSe2 Thin Film Transistor for Fast Photodetector. Scientific Reports (2015).
3. High-Responsivity Multilayer MoSe2 Phototransistors with Fast Response Time. Scientific Reports (2018).
4. Morphological, optical and photovoltaic characteristics of MoSe2/SiOx/Si heterojunctions. Scientific Reports (2020).
5. Synthesis of Monolayer MoSe2 with Controlled Nucleation via Reverse-Flow Chemical Vapor Deposition. Nanomaterials (2019).
6. Chemical Vapor Deposition of 4 Inch Wafer‐Scale Monolayer MoSe2. Small Science (2022).