In one embodiment, the ultraviolet light is from a UV LED. In one embodiment, the ultraviolet light is from a natural source, such as the sun. In one embodiment, the ultraviolet light is from a UV lamp. In one embodiment, the ultraviolet light is from a UV-C lamp.
In one embodiment the transition metal oxide is irradiated with ultraviolet light for at least 1 hour. In one embodiment, the transition metal oxide is irradiated with ultraviolet light for at least 1.5 hours. In one embodiment, the transition metal oxide is irradiated with ultraviolet light for at least 2 hours. In one embodiment, the irradiation of the transition metal oxide with ultraviolet light has little or no passivation effect. In one embodiment, the irradiation of the transition metal oxide with ultraviolet light has little or no impact on the photoluminescence of the transition metal dichalcogenide monolayer.
In one embodiment, the transition metal oxide is then irradiated with a laser, such as any laser described herein. In one embodiment, the transition metal oxide is irradiated with a laser which produces light having a photon energy of between 2 eV and 3 eV. In one embodiment, the laser photon energy is about 2.3 eV.
In one aspect, the present invention also relates to a method of passivating a transition metal dichalcogenide, the method comprising the steps of: providing a transition metal dichalcogenide monolayer; and depositing a composition comprising a transition metal oxide and an organic electron donor material over the monolayer. In some embodiments, the step of irradiating the composition, as described herein, may be omitted. In one embodiment, the non-irradiated material may have a passivation effect.