Quantum Electron Transport in Ohmic Edge Contacts between Two-Dimensional Materials

In-plane edge contacts can achieve both minimal volume and low contact resistance to further shrink transistor dimensions and increase device performance. However, a quantitative understanding of their electron transport properties is still lacking. Here we present atomistic full-band self-consistent quantum transport simulations of the graphene/MoS2 edge contact using a Wannier-function basis. We find efficient tunneling of electrons resulting in ohmic behavior in its I–V characteristics, which agrees with experiments. Our results also demonstrate the role played by trapped charges in the formation of a Schottky barrier. Our framework can be extended conveniently to incorporate more general nanostructure geometries.