TAILORING ELECTRONIC AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF TWO-DIMENSIONAL SEMICONDUCTORS FOR NEXT-GENERATION NANOELECTRONICS DEVICES

Abstract

Two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors, including transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), black phosphorus, MXenes, and emerging 2D nitrides, are poised to overcome the fundamental scaling limits of silicon-based electronics by offering atomically thin channels with pristine surfaces, exceptional electrostatic control, and tunable electronic and optical properties. This review examines advanced strategies for tailoring these materials for next-generation nanoelectronic and optoelectronic devices, encompassing: (i) bandgap engineering via strain, electric-field gating, alloying, and heterostructure design; (ii) phase and defect control through doping, vacancy engineering, and twist-angle stacking; (iii) interface optimization in van der Waals heterostructures to suppress Fermi-level pinning and enhance carrier mobility; (iv) valleytronics and spintronics enabled by spin–valley locking in monolayer TMDs; and (v) integration into high-performance FETs, memristors, photodetectors, and neuromorphic synapses. Key performance metrics on/off ratios exceeding 10⁸, subthreshold swings approaching the 60 mV/decade limit, room-temperature mobilities >100 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹, and broadband photoresponse are highlighted alongside challenges such as contact resistance, environmental stability, and large-area synthesis. The convergence of these tailoring approaches positions 2D semiconductors as a versatile platform for post-CMOS logic, ultra-low-power electronics, flexible optoelectronics, and quantum-information technologies, with realistic pathways toward commercial viability discussed.