Hybrid heterostructures and devices based on two-dimensional layers and wide bandgap materials

Abstract

With the further development of Moore's law, the process nodes of integrated circuit have reached 7 nm or even smaller size. In addition to the significant increase in cost, when the scale continues to shrink, there will inevitably be short channel effect. For example, because of tunneling and reduction in the separation of drain and barrier, the channel will be difficult to be completely turned off, thus reducing the switching performance of the device. Significant efforts have been dedicated for developing next-generation devices and applications to overcome these obstacles. The emerging van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures, where two-dimensional (2D) materials are physically layer by layer stacked without constraints on the chemical bonding and interfacial lattice matching, have offered an alternative platform in nanoscale electronic and optoelectronic applications. Beyond all 2D materials based vdW heterostructures, the concept could be extended to integrate 2D materials with conventional wide bandgap (WBG) functional materials. Here, we summarize recent developments of 2D-WBG hybrid heterostructures starting from the integration process and working principle. Then, we highlight the functions and device applications of 2D-WBG hybrid heterostructures, including ferroelectric gating, piezoelectric strain engineering, photodetectors, field-effect transistors, photocatalysts, and gas sensors. Finally, we provide a brief discussion on the perspectives and challenges in this exciting field.