Control of transport properties of hybrid molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) – ferroelectric devices via domain engineering

We demonstrate a concept of programmable ferroelectric devices comprised of two-dimensional (2D) and ferroelectric (FE) materials, which enables precise modulation of the in-plane conductivity of a 2D channel material through nanoengineering of FE domains with out-of-plane polarization. The functionality of these new devices has been demonstrated using field-effect transistors (FETs) fabricated with monolayer molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) channels on the Pb(Zr,Ti)O₃ substrates. Using piezoresponse force microscopy, we show that local switching of FE polarization by a conductive probe can be used to tune the conductivity of the MoS₂ channel. Specifically, patterning of the nanoscale domains with downward polarization creates conductive paths in a resistive MoS₂ channel so that the conductivity of an FET is determined by the number and length of the paths connecting source and drain electrodes. In addition to the device programmability, we demonstrate the device ON/OFF cyclic endurance by successive writing and erasing of conductive paths in a MoS₂ channel. These findings may inspire the development of advanced energy-efficient programmable synaptic devices based on combination of 2D and FE materials.