Growth and characterization of two-dimensional heterostructures: transition metal dichalcogenides on graphene and hexagonal boron nitride

Abstract

Recently, two-dimensional (2D) materials as graphene, hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) and transition metal dichalcogenides have received enormous attention due to their fascinating properties and great potential for technological applications. An interesting possibility is the design of heterostructures from the stacking of different monolayers of 2D materials, with these new materials presenting distinct properties. In this project, we propose to growth monolayers of transition metal dichalcogenides, in particular, MoSe2 and HfSe2, on graphene and h-BN supported on Ni(111) surface. The aim is to obtain the parameters that allow the controlled growth (layer-by-layer) of high-quality ultrathin films, which will have their atomic and electronic structure characterized in situ by multiple experimental techniques. It will also be investigated the influence of the distinct substrates (graphene and h-BN) in the electronic/structural properties of the TMDs ultrathin films. The achievement of 2D materials heterostructures with controlled number and orientation of the monolayers represents nowadays an important technological challenge that is essential for future applications of these materials in nano/optoelectronic devices. (AU)