Effects of Extreme Ultraviolet Radiation on Transition Metal Dichalcogenides: Investigation of Physical and Electrical Properties

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) have gained a lot of attention due to their versatile applications in electronic and sensing devices. Furthermore, TMDCs are the candidates to replace Si in the semiconductor industry. However, little research has focused on TMDCs under extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation, which will be the mainstream lithography technique in semiconductor processes. Here, three types of representative TMDC materials, MoS₂, WS₂, and PtSe₂ films, were subjected to synchrotron-radiation-generated EUV light. Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy were used to analyze the elemental concentrations and bonding environment in the materials before and after EUV irradiation. The results showed that chalcogenide vacancies in the two-dimensional (2D) TMDCs were the dominant irradiation defects. Defects were present at all the set EUV doses, and the defect content affected the resistance of the material. This study demonstrated the defects in 2D TMDCs caused by EUV irradiation and showed the potential of EUV radiation modulating the defects and the properties of materials.