TECHNOLOGICAL CHALLENGES IN THE FABRICATION OF MoS2/DIAMOND HETEROSTRUCTURES

Nowadays, 2D materials are one of the most studied classes of materials. In addition to the most famous graphene, progress has been achieved in studying and using fundamental properties of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD). Complementary, diamond as a representative of 3D materials has gained a reputation as an extremely versatile material due to its extraordinary combination of physical/chemical/electrical/optical properties. Besides these particular forms of 2D and 3D materials, their heterostructures have become very attractive due to new phenomena and functions (bandgap engineering, enhanced charge transport, optical interaction, etc.). However, individual technological procedures are still minimally investigated and described. Here, we will demonstrate a proof-of-concept for the preparation of MoS2/diamond heterostructures, where two different strategies were employed: a) growth of MoS2 layers on diamond films, and b) growth of diamond films on Si/MoS2 substrates. Considering the growth conditions for MoS2 and diamond materials, heterostructures based on MoS2 on diamond can be prepared more easily. Regardless of the diamond film's morphology, the grown MoS2 layer simply copies the diamond surface and does not damage the diamond film. However, the heterostructure in the configuration of diamond on MoS2 is a highly challenging task. It was found experimentally that the combination of deposition temperature and aggressive chemical-plasma environment during diamond growth places high demands on the resistance and stability of MoS2 layers.