Nanoscale Ferroelectric Programming of van der Waals Heterostructures

Abstract

We demonstrate an approach to creating nanoscale potentials in van der Waals layers integrated with a buried programmable ferroelectric layer. Using ultra-low-voltage electron beam lithography (ULV-EBL), we can program the ferroelectric polarization in Al 1−x B x N (AlBN) thin films, generating structures with sizes as small as 35 nm. We demonstrate the ferroelectric field effect with a graphene/vdW stack on AlBN by creating a p−n junction. This resist-free, high-resolution, contactless patterning method offers a new pathway to integrate ferroelectric films with a wide range of two-dimensional layers including transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMD), enabling arbitrary programming and top-down creation of multifunctional devices.