Study on the catalyst effect of NaCl on MoS2 growth in a chemical vapor deposition process

Due to its unique two-dimensional (2D) structural characteristics, monolayer MoS2 is considered to be an ideal material for next-generation optoelectronic devices. At present, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth is the suitable technology for preparing MoS2. In order to improve the growth quality of MoS2, NaCl is often used as a catalyst in the synthesis. However, the catalyst has negative effects on the grown MoS2 morphology even though it can facilitate the growth. Here, we study the partial multilayer growth in the MoS2 synthesis caused by the NaCl catalyst, and then propose a mechanism for understanding the growth phenomena. The study provides theoretical guidance and reference for synthesizing high-quality monolayer MoS2.