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Abstract The ongoing reduction in transistor sizes drives advancements in information technology. However, as transistors shrink to the nanometer scale, surface and edge states begin to constrain their performance. 2D semiconductors like transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have dangling‐bond‐free surfaces, hence achieving minimal surface states. Nonetheless, edge state disorder still limits the performance of width‐scaled 2D transistors. This work demonstrates a facile edge passivation method to enhance the electrical properties of monolayer WSe₂nanoribbons, by combining scanning transmission electron microscopy, optical spectroscopy, and field‐effect transistor (FET) transport measurements. Monolayer WSe₂nanoribbons are passivated with amorphous WO_xSe_yat the edges, which is achieved using nanolithography and a controlled remote O₂plasma process. The same nanoribbons, with and without edge passivation are sequentially fabricated and measured. The passivated‐edge nanoribbon FETs exhibit 10 ± 6 times higher field‐effect mobility than the open‐edge nanoribbon FETs, which are characterized with dangling bonds at the edges. WO_xSe_yedge passivation minimizes edge disorder and enhances the material quality of WSe₂nanoribbons. Owing to its simplicity and effectiveness, oxidation‐based edge passivation could become a turnkey manufacturing solution for TMD nanoribbons in beyond‐silicon electronics and optoelectronics. 

Abstract Source/Drain extension doping is crucial for minimizing the series resistance of the ungated channel and reducing the contact resistance of field‐effect transistors (FETs) in complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) technology. 2D semiconductors, such as MoS₂and WSe₂, are promising channel materials for beyond‐silicon CMOS. A key challenge is to achieve extension doping for 2D monolayer FETs without damaging the atomically thin material. This work demonstrates extension doping with low‐resistance contacts for monolayer WSe₂p‐FETs. Self‐limiting oxidation transforms a bilayer WSe₂into a hetero‐bilayer of a high‐work‐function WO_xSe_yon a monolayer WSe₂. Then, damage‐free nanolithography defines an undoped nano‐channel, preserving the high on‐current of WO_xSe_y‐doped FETs while significantly improving their on/off ratio. The insertion of an amorphous WO_xSe_yinterlayer under the contacts achieves record‐low contact resistances for monolayer WSe₂over a hole density range of 10¹²to 10¹³cm⁻²(1.2 ± 0.3 kΩ µm at 10¹³cm⁻²). The WO_xSe_y‐doped extension exhibits a sheet resistance as low as 10 ± 1 kΩ □⁻¹. Monolayer WSe₂p‐FETs with sub‐50 nm channel lengths reach a maximum drain current of 154 µA µm⁻¹with an on/off ratio of 10⁷–10⁸. These results define strategies for nanometer‐scale selective‐area doping in 2D FETs and other 2D architectures.