Two-Dimensional (2D) Materials for Next-Generation Nanoelectronics and Optoelectronics: Advances and Trends

Atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) materials has been reported in the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors to be one of the potential technological enablers to achieve scaling sizes of 5 nm and lower, digressing away from the conventional silicon material. Given the uniqueness of these 2D materials, with properties ranging from semi-metal to semiconductors to insulating, research scale efforts have demonstrated promising new opportunities for both rigid and flexible nanoelectronics and optoelectronics applications, in numerous fields such as imaging and sensing, medical, industrial, environmental, biological, field-effect transistors, solar cells, batteries, thermoelectrics, light emitting diodes, lasers and ultra-fast optical communications. It is the focus of this chapter to provide an overall review of this fascinating world of atomically thin 2D novel materials, the physics underlying these materials, the recent applications surrounding these novel 2D materials and their devices, and the progressive efforts at large scale commercialization.