Plasma assisted synthesis of WS2 for gas sensing applications

Abstract We report the plasma assisted synthesis of WS 2 thin films and demonstrate their suitability for sensing applications. This was achieved by using a H 2 S plasma to sulphurise WO 3 films at temperatures as low as 500 °C. This is a significant step towards semiconductor compatible growth of transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) thin films without the need for highly elevated temperatures. We found that the electrical transport in thin films is highly sensitive to the presence of NH 3 . A sensitivity of 1.4 ppm NH 3 in nitrogen at room temperature has been achieved, demonstrating the potential of 2D TMD films for sensing applications.

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