Chemical vapor deposition growth of a periodic array of single-layer MoS₂ islands via lithographic patterning of an SiO2/Si substrate

The growth of micron-scale single-layer MoS₂ islands is seeded and distributed at high fidelity by means of a regular array of micron-scale holes that extend through the oxide layer of a 300 nmSiO₂/Si substrate. Low coverages exhibit individual sub-micron MoS₂ islands directly adjacent to the seed positions. At moderate coverage the seed holes are encircled by merged MoS₂ islands, whose overall shape and internal grain boundaries reveal coalescence out of several initial crystallites. Seeded islands are strictly monolayer in height, non-overlapping and they offer high photoluminescence as well as conventional Raman signatures.