Chemical vapor deposition growth of a periodic array of single-layer MoS ₂ islands via lithographic patterning of an SiO ₂ /Si substrate

The growth of micron-scale single-layer MoS2 islands is seeded and distributed at high fidelity by means of a regular array of micron-scale holes that extend through the oxide layer of a 300 nm SiO2/Si substrate. Low coverages exhibit individual sub-micron MoS2 islands directly adjacent to the seed positions. At moderate coverage the seed holes are encircled by merged MoS2 islands, whose overall shape and internal grain boundaries reveal coalescence out of several initial crystallites. Seeded islands are strictly monolayer in height, non-overlapping and they offer high photoluminescence as well as conventional Raman signatures.