Establishing the foundation for electronics technology based on atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) materials, such as layered transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), may prove to be transformative in many technological areas relying on flexible electronic and nanoelectronic systems. This project will establish a critical knowledge base for future 2D TMDC electronics technology for a broad range of applications, such as low power computing, flexible display, and wearable electronics. The project has a direct industrial impact through the respective collaboration and technology transfer between the participating universities and the industrial partner. It will also offer interdisciplinary research opportunities for training graduate students, as well as undergraduate and high school students, in a collaborative research environment between university and industry, and provide valuable resources for research and educational community by disseminating web-based learning modules, simulators, and experimental data on TDMC-based electronics.
While TMDC materials are promising for many potential applications in nanoelectronics and flexible electronics due to their mechanical bendability, atomically thin thickness, and excellent intrinsic carrier transport properties, major gaps exist on translating early science of such materials into practical circuit and system technologies. The objective of this project is to develop compact model and circuit-simulation platform for new 2D TMDC-based devices and systems, and to explore its applications in flexible and wearable electronic systems through experimental demonstration and collaboration with IBM T. J. Watson Research Center as the industrial partner. The proposal will undertake the following tasks: (i) develop a multiscale simulation framework that integrates atomistic device simulations with compact circuit models for TMDC transistors, (ii) fabricate, characterize and simulate basic TMDC circuits, (iii) model the variability and defect mechanisms and their correlations in TMDC transistors, and (iv) design and experimentally demonstrate TMDC driving circuits for transparent flexible display.
