One-Dimensional Electrical Contact to a Two-Dimensional Material
Lei Wang, Inanc Meric, Pinshane Y. Huang, Qun Gao, Yuanda Gao, Huyen T. T. Tran, Takaaki Taniguchi, Kenji Watanabe, Luis M. Campos, David A. Muller, Jing Guo, Philip Kim, James Hone, Kenneth L. Shepard, Cory R. Dean
Abstract
Heterostructures based on layering of two-dimensional (2D) materials such as graphene and hexagonal boron nitride represent a new class of electronic devices. Realizing this potential, however, depends critically on the ability to make high-quality electrical contact. Here, we report a contact geometry in which we metalize only the 1D edge of a 2D graphene layer. In addition to outperforming conventional surface contacts, the edge-contact geometry allows a complete separation of the layer assembly and contact metallization processes. In graphene heterostructures, this enables high electronic performance, including low-temperature ballistic transport over distances longer than 15 micrometers, and room-temperature mobility comparable to the theoretical phonon-scattering limit. The edge-contact geometry provides new design possibilities for multilayered structures of complimentary 2D materials.