Deterministic Nucleation Enables Controlled Growth of 2D Semiconductors (KAIST, TDS, Hanyang et al.)

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Researchers from KAIST, TDS Innovation, Hanyang University, UNIST and other institutions published a paper in Nature proposing an etching-flux-mediated single-nucleus nucleation method for 2D semiconductors that deterministically positions a single nucleation event at a designated location. Conventional strategies can only control nucleation density and achieve area-selective growth, but cannot determine where an individual nucleus lands within the growth area. Published in October 2026, the paper is open access.

Article · English

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Researchers at KAIST, TDS Innovation, Hanyang University, UNIST, et al. published a technical paper titled “Spatially deterministic nucleation of 2D semiconductors by etching flux.”

Abstract Excerpt:

“Nucleation control is fundamental to semiconductor deposition, governing when, where and how crystalline materials form. Conventional strategies can regulate nucleation density and, through area-selective growth, confine deposition to designated regions. However, they generally do not determine where an individual nucleus forms within the growth regions, leaving even single-nucleation events spatially stochastic and limiting deterministic construction of crystalline materials. Here we report etching-flux-mediated single-centred nucleation of two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors to deterministically localize a single nucleation event.”

Find the technical paper here. October 2026.

Park, J., Kim, J., Kang, S. et al. Spatially deterministic nucleation of 2D semiconductors by etching flux. Nature 658, 398–406 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-11095-1. Open access rights.