The science and engineering
of two-dimensional materials
(2DMs),
in particular, of 2D semiconductors, is advancing at a thriving pace.
It is well known that these delicate few-atoms thick materials can
be damaged during the processing toward their integration into final
devices. Thermal scanning probe lithography (t-SPL) is a gentle alternative
to the typically used electron beam lithography to fabricate these
devices avoiding the use of electrons, which are well known to deteriorate
the 2DMs’ properties. Here, t-SPL is used for the fabrication
of MoS2-based field effect transistors (FETs). In particular,
the use of t-SPL is demonstrated for the first time for the fabrication
of edge-contact MoS2 FETs, combining the hot-tip patterning
and Ar+ milling to etch the 2DM. To avoid contamination
of the contact interface by atmospheric gas molecules, etching and
metal deposition are performed without breaking the vacuum conditions
in between. With this process, edge-contact MoS2 FETs are
successfully fabricated and characterized. On/off ratios up to 108 and 109 are obtained at room temperature in air
and vacuum, respectively, i.e., comparable with the best values reported
in the literature.