Quick Optical Identification of the Defect Formation in Monolayer WSe2 for Growth Optimization

Abstract Bottom-up epitaxy has been widely applied for transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) growth. However, this method usually leads to a high density of defects in the crystal, which limits its optoelectronic performance. Here, we show the effect of growth temperature on the defect formation, optical performance, and crystal stability in monolayer WSe2 via a combination of Raman and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy study. We found that the defect formation and distribution in monolayer WSe2 are closely related to the growth temperature. These defect density and distribution can be controlled by adjusting the growth temperature. Aging experiments directly demonstrate that these defects are an active center for the decomposition process. Instead, monolayer WSe2 grown under optimal conditions shows a strong and uniform emission dominated by neutral exciton at room temperature. The results provide an effective approach to optimize TMDCs growth.