Strain-Dependent Contact Engineering in Monolayer MoS₂: Enhancing Charge Carrier Transport through 1D Edge Contacts

Contact engineering is crucial for optimizing the performance of two-dimensional (2D) devices. Despite the remarkable mechanical flexibility, there is insufficient understanding of how applied strain influences the contact properties and charge carrier dynamics at junction interfaces. Electrical characterization and theoretical calculation revealed that tensile strain significantly reduces contact resistance (R_C) and Schottky barrier height (SBH) in 1D edge contacts. Specifically, the R_C of 1D edge contacts decreases by 66%, whereas van der Waals (vdW) contacts exhibit a much smaller reduction of 21% due to a sliding effect at the junction interface. Additionally, the SBH in 1D edge contacts is significantly reduced by approximately 59.4%, while vdW contacts show a slight decrease of 33.6%. The modulations in 1D edge contact are attributed to the efficient strain transfer enabled by covalent bonding at the contact interface. These highlight the importance of contact design in strain-engineered 2D electronics, providing practical strategies for high-performance 2D devices.