An emerging electronic material as one of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), tungsten disulfide (WS2) can be exfoliated as an atomically thin layer and can compensate for the drawback of graphene originating from a gapless band structure. A direct bandgap, which is obtainable in single-layer WS2, is an attractive characteristic for developing optoelectronic devices, as well as field-effect transistors. However, its relatively low mobility and electrical characteristics susceptible to environments remain obstacles for the use of device materials. Here, we demonstrate remarkable improvement in the electrical characteristics of single-layer WS2 field-effect transistor (SL-WS2 FET) using chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-grown hexagonal BN (h-BN). SL-WS2 FET sandwiched between CVD-grown h-BN films shows unprecedented high mobility of 214 cm2/Vs at room temperature. The mobility of a SL-WS2 FET has been found to be 486 cm2/Vs at 5 K. The ON/OFF ratio of output current is ~107 at room temperature. Apart from an ideal substrate for WS2 FET, CVD-grown h-BN film also provides a protection layer against unwanted influence by gas environments. The h-BN/SL-WS2/h-BN sandwich structure offers a way to develop high-quality durable single-layer TMDCs electronic devices.

Graphene and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) have shown fascinating features in spintronics due to their metallic and tunneling behaviors, respectively. In this work, we report for the first time room temperature spin valve effect in NiFe/Gr–hBN/Co configuration.

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Improvement of the electrical and photoelectric characteristics is essential to achieve an advanced performance of field-effect transistors and optoelectronic devices. Here we have developed a doping technique to drastically improve electrical and photoelectric characteristics of single-layered, bi-layered and multi-layered WS2 field-effect transistors (FET). After illuminating with deep ultraviolet (DUV) light in a nitrogen environment, WS2 FET shows an enhanced charge carrier density, mobility and photocurrent response. The threshold voltage of WS2 FET shifted toward the negative gate voltage, and the positions of E and A1g peaks in Raman spectra shifted toward lower wavenumbers, indicating the n-type doping effect of the WS2 FET. The doping effect is reversible. The pristine characteristics of WS2 FET can be restored by DUV light illumination in an oxygen environment. The DUV-driven doping technique in a gas environment provides a very stable, effective, easily applicable way to enhance the performance of WS2 FET.