title: Abnormal Multiple Charge Memory States in Exfoliated Few-Layer WSe2Transistors.
abstract: To construct reliable nanoelectronic devices based on emerging 2D layered semiconductors, we need to understand the charge-trapping processes in such devices. Additionally, the identified charge-trapping schemes in such layered materials could be further exploited to make multibit (or highly desirable analog-tunable) memory devices. Here, we present a study on the abnormal charge-trapping or memory characteristics of few-layer WSe2transistors. This work shows that multiple charge-trapping states with large extrema spacing, long retention time, and analog tunability can be excited in the transistors made from mechanically exfoliated few-layer WSe2flakes, whereas they cannot be generated in widely studied few-layer MoS2transistors. Such charge-trapping characteristics of WSe2transistors are attributed to the exfoliation-induced interlayer deformation on the cleaved surfaces of few-layer WSe2flakes, which can spontaneously form ambipolar charge-trapping sites. Our additional results from surface characterization, charge-retention characterization at different temperatures, and density functional theory computation strongly support this explanation. Furthermore, our research also demonstrates that the charge-trapping states excited in multiple transistors can be calibrated into consistent multibit data storage levels. This work advances the understanding of the charge memory mechanisms in layered semiconductors, and the observed charge-trapping states could be further studied for enabling ultralow-cost multibit analog memory devices.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering and ‡Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States.
authors.forename: Mikai
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering and ‡Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States.
authors.forename: Yifan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering and ‡Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States.
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shepherd
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering and ‡Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States.
authors.forename: Chad
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huard
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering and ‡Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States.
authors.forename: Jiantao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering and ‡Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States.
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering and ‡Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering and ‡Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States.
authors.forename: Xiaogan
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-7390-9130
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liang
keywords: 2D materials; WSe2; charge trapping; memory; transistor