Direct-Write Printed Contacts to Layered and 2D Materials
For researchers prototyping novel layered materials, this method offers a faster, cleaner alternative to lithography for electrical characterization.
Direct-write printing of conductive inks is introduced as a fast, clean method for depositing electrical contacts to layered and 2D materials (graphene, MoS2, Bi-2212, Fe5GeTe2), achieving contact quality comparable to resist-based lithography. Devices tested via gate voltage, temperature, and magnetic field sweeps confirm materials remain pristine.
Advancements in fabrication methods have shaped new computing device technologies. Among these methods, depositing electrical contacts to the channel material is fundamental to device characterization. Novel layered and two-dimensional (2D) materials are promising for next-generation computing electronic channel materials. Direct-write printing of conductive inks is introduced as a surprisingly effective, significantly faster, and cleaner method to contact different classes of layered materials, including graphene (semi-metal), MoS2 (semiconductor), Bi-2212 (superconductor), and Fe5GeTe2 (metallic ferromagnet). Based on the electrical response, the quality of the printed contacts is comparable to what is achievable with resist-based lithography techniques. These devices are tested by sweeping gate voltage, temperature, and magnetic field to show that the materials remain pristine post-processing. This work demonstrates that direct-write printing is an agile method for prototyping and characterizing the electrical properties of novel layered materials.