γ Radiation Effects on Transition Metal Dichalcogenides: A Review of Defect Mechanisms and Device Implications
Abstract
Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are foundational materials for next-generation electronics. For their viable use in space, nuclear, and medical applications, a comprehensive understanding of their response to high-energy ionizing radiation is critical. This review synthesizes and critically analyzes 32 experimental studies published since 2016 to build a unified framework for γ-radiation effects in TMDs. We found that the primary defect mechanism is the creation of chalcogen vacancies (CVs). The subsequent material response is decisively modulated by the irradiation environment: in ambient air, CVs are passivated, leading to oxidation, whereas in a vacuum or inert gas, pure vacancy effects dominate. This dichotomy resolves apparent contradictions in the literature regarding electronic doping; for instance, WSe2 consistently exhibits intrinsic n-type doping (from VSe), while WS2 and MoS2 in air trend toward p-type doping (from charge-transfer to oxides). These competing mechanisms of doping, strain, and disorder are mapped to their complex spectroscopic signatures in Raman and photoluminescence, including nonmonotonic dose-dependence. Beyond damage, γ-rays are shown to be a potent tool for defect engineering, inducing emergent properties such as room-temperature ferromagnetism (attributed to V1M+2S complex vacancies) and optimizing catalytic activity. Finally, this review finds that TMD-based devices possess high intrinsic radiation hardness, with…
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