Zeolite-like molecules: Promising dielectrics for two-dimensional semiconductors

Two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors have opened opportunities for the development of next-generation semiconductor devices and the continuation of Moore's law. The absence of qualified dielectrics hinders the scalable application of 2D semiconductors. Herein, we present a joint theory-experiment study shedding light on the exciting prospect of zeolite-like molecules (ZLMs) as the dielectrics for 2D semiconductors. Specifically, ZLMs possess bandgaps and dielectric constants comparable to those of SiO2 (the commonly used dielectric in the Si-based semiconductor industry), and ZLMs and 2D semiconductors can form ideal interfaces, in which ZLMs are in van der Waals (vdW) contact with 2D semiconductors and preserve well the intrinsic semiconducting properties of 2D semiconductors. Furthermore, we demonstrated that molecules with a zeolite-like backbone can exhibit remarkable environmental stability. This work offers a promising new family of vdW dielectrics with important implications for the field of 2D semiconductors.