An AFM study of a laboratory-grown single-crystal MoS surface 2 following radio-frequency oxygen plasma treatment

The surface topography of a laboratory-grown MoS2 following radio frequency RF. oxygen plasma treatment was studied using atomic force microscopy AFM.. At relatively low power levels, the etched material surface breaks into nano-scale linear troughs extending in two surface directions. In contrast, higher power plasma creates nano-scale hillocks and etched pits. The basal-plane-contraction effect resulting from the substitution of sulphur by oxygen during etching and the sputtering and redeposition of surface materials by bombardment by energetic particles present in plasma are believed to be responsible for the surface topography formed in different ranges of plasma power. q2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.