Admittance spectroscopy of interface traps in MoS2 nanosheet capacitors

Two dimensional MoS₂ nanosheets are complementary to graphene as post-silicon material for low power electronic, optoelectronic, and photovoltaic applications. However, when integrated as active channels in a transistor, the transport properties of a MoS₂ nanosheet can be dramatically influenced by the intrinsic interface traps which may degrade the carrier mobility or interfere with the radiative recombination. Electrically active interface traps are here quantified in different configurations incorporating MoS₂ nanosheet capacitors by means of temperature resolved admittance spectroscopy. The density of states of the interface traps is probed from midgap to the majority carrier band-edge therein making evidence of localized midgap traps and conduction band tail states. The resulting scenario is corroborated by the inspection of the local electronic properties explored by scanning tunneling spectroscopy. The former traps are related to native defects such S vacancy whereas the latter feature is discussed in terms of intrinsic disorder which is responsible for the previously reported metal-insulator transition in MoS₂ flakes.