2D Materials for Nanoelectronics

The transition from three-dimensional bulk semiconductors to atomically thin, two-dimensional (2D) crystals represents one of the most consequential shifts in materials science of the twenty-first century. Since the isolation of monolayer graphene in 2004, the family of 2D materials has grown from a scientific curiosity into a serious technological candidate for extending, and eventually succeeding, silicon-based nanoelectronics. This book, 2D Materials for Nanoelectronics: Graphene, MoS₂, Transition Metal Dichalcogenides, Device Fabrication, and Emerging Applications, was written to give students, researchers, and practising engineers a single, coherent, and up-to-date account of this fast-moving field.
The motivation for this book arises from a simple observation: while outstanding research papers on individual 2D materials or device concepts are published every week, a comprehensive text that connects crystallography, electronic structure, synthesis, characterization, device fabrication, circuit-level integration, and emerging applications - all within one consistent notation and pedagogical framework - remains comparatively rare. This book attempts to fill that gap.
The material is organized to be read sequentially by a newcomer to the field, while also serving as a reference for the specialist. Part I (Chapters 1-2) introduces the conceptual foundations of dimensionality in solids and the crystallography and bonding that make 2D materials possible. Part II (Chapters 3-4) is devoted entirely to graphene: its synthesis, band structure, and transport properties. Part III (Chapters 5-7) extends the discussion to transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) such as MoS₂, WS₂, WSe₂, and MoSe₂, along with a broader survey of other 2D materials, including hexagonal boron nitride, phosphorene, silicene, and MXenes. Part IV (Chapters 8-10) addresses van der Waals heterostructures and the characterization toolkit used to study 2D materials. Part V (Chapters 11-13) is the applied heart of the book, covering device fabrication technology, field-effect transistor physics, and the persistent challenges of metal contacts, doping, and reliability. Part VI (Chapters 14-17) surveys emerging and cross-cutting applications - interconnects, photonics, sensors, flexible and spintronic electronics, neuromorphic and quantum devices - before closing with a candid assessment of the scalability and commercialization challenges that will determine whether 2D electronics reaches mass production.
Throughout the text, I have tried to balance physical intuition with quantitative rigor. Each chapter includes original diagrams drawn specifically for this book, comparison tables that consolidate scattered literature values into a single reference point, worked discussions of key experiments, and a set of review questions intended to reinforce the material for classroom use. Wherever specific numerical properties are quoted - carrier mobilities, bandgaps, growth temperatures, and so on - I have cross-checked the values against multiple independent literature sources and, where the literature itself disagrees (as it often does for a field this young), I have indicated the accepted range rather than asserting false precision.
This book assumes a working knowledge of solid-state physics and semiconductor device fundamentals at the level of a senior undergraduate or first-year graduate course in electrical engineering, materials science, applied physics, or nanotechnology. Readers who need a refresher on band theory, the effective-mass approximation, or MOSFET operation will find the necessary background woven into the early chapters, but this is not intended as a first course in solid-state physics.