Approaching the Schottky–Mott limit in van der Waals metal–semiconductor junctions

The junctions formed at the contact between metallic electrodes and semiconductor materials are crucial components of electronic and optoelectronic devices 1 . Metal–semiconductor junctions are characterized by an energy barrier known as the Schottky barrier, whose height can, in the ideal case, be predicted by the Schottky–Mott rule2–4 on the basis of the relative alignment of energy levels. Such ideal physics has rarely been experimentally realized, however, because of the inevitable chemical disorder and Fermi-level pinning at typical metal–semiconductor interfaces2,5–12. Here we report the creation of van der Waals metal–semiconductor junctions in which atomically flat metal thin films are laminated onto two-dimensional semiconductors without direct chemical bonding, creating an interface that is essentially free from chemical disorder and Fermi-level pinning. The Schottky barrier height, which approaches the Schottky–Mott limit, is dictated by the work function of the metal and is thus highly tunable. By transferring metal films (silver or platinum) with a work function that matches the conduction band or valence band edges of molybdenum sulfide, we achieve transistors with a two-terminal electron mobility at room temperature of 260 centimetres squared per volt per second and a hole mobility of 175 centimetres squared per volt per second. Furthermore, by using asymmetric contact pairs with different work functions, we demonstrate a silver/molybdenum sulfide/platinum photodiode with an open-circuit voltage of 1.02 volts. Our study not only experimentally validates the fundamental limit of ideal metal–semiconductor junctions but also defines a highly efficient and damage-free strategy for metal integration that could be used in high-performance electronics and optoelectronics.