Application prospect of 2D material technology in transistor

With the rapid development of information technology, transistor is the core component of modern electronic equipment, and its performance improvement has become the key to promote scientific and technological progress. However, traditional silicon-based transistors are gradually facing physical limits in terms of size reduction and performance improvement, and new materials and new technologies are urgently needed to break through. In recent years, 2D material technology, with its unique physical and electrical properties, has provided new possibilities for the future development of transistors. This paper aims to discuss the application prospect of 2D material technology in transistors, analyze its advantages, challenges and future development direction, in order to provide reference for the research and application in related fields.

一.Overview of 2D material technology

2D materials' technology refers to those materials that exhibit unique physical and chemical properties on a two-dimensional scale. These materials are usually composed of a single layer or a few layers of atoms, have a very high specific surface area and excellent mechanical, electrical, and optical properties. Since the discovery of graphene in 2004, 2D material technology has received a lot of attention and in-depth research. Graphene is a hexagonal honeycomb structure formed by a single layer of carbon atoms through the hybridization of sp², which has extremely high electrical conductivity and mechanical strength. Subsequently, other 2D materials such as molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂), boron nitride (h-BN) and black phosphorus have also been discovered and studied.

The main properties of 2D materials include atomic thickness, high transparency, excellent electrical properties and mechanical flexibility. These properties make 2D materials show great potential for applications in electronic devices, optoelectronic devices, sensors and energy storage. For example, graphene's high electrical conductivity and transparency make it an ideal material for transparent conductive electrodes; Molybdenum disulfide has important applications in transistors and photodetectors because of its semiconductor properties. Boron nitride's high insulation and thermal conductivity make it an ideal insulating layer and thermal management material.

二.Limitations of traditional transistor technology

Traditional transistor technology is mainly based on silicon materials, and after decades of development, silicon-based transistors have made remarkable achievements in size reduction and performance improvement. However, as device sizes continue to shrink, silicon-based transistors gradually face a series of physical and technical challenges. First, the short channel effect causes the device performance to decrease, the leakage current to increase, and the power consumption to increase. Second, quantum tunneling effects make it difficult to control devices at the nanoscale, further limiting the scope for size reduction. In addition, the carrier mobility of silicon materials is limited, which is difficult to meet the needs of high-frequency and high-speed applications.

These limitations not only affect the performance of transistors, but also pose challenges to the development of the semiconductor industry as a whole. To overcome these bottlenecks, researchers are beginning to explore new materials and structures to further reduce device size while maintaining or improving device performance. The emergence of 2D material technology provides a new direction for this exploration.

三.Advantages of two-dimensional materials in transistors

The application of two-dimensional materials in transistors has significant advantages, mainly reflected in the following aspects. First, the atomic thickness of the two-dimensional material makes the channel length of the transistor greatly reduced, which effectively inhibits the short channel effect and improves the device performance. For example, the atomic thickness of graphene and molybdenum disulfide allows channel lengths to be reduced to a few nanometers, far below the limits of traditional silicon-based transistors.

Secondly, two-dimensional materials have excellent electrical properties. Graphene's high conductivity and carrier mobility make it an ideal material for high-frequency high-speed transistors. Semiconductor 2D materials such as molybdenum disulfide have high switching ratio and low subthreshold swing, which can effectively reduce power consumption and improve device energy efficiency. In addition, the mechanical flexibility and transparency of two-dimensional materials provide new possibilities for the development of flexible electronics and transparent electronic devices.

In practical applications, two-dimensional material transistors show significant performance improvements. For example, graphene-based RF transistors show excellent performance in the GHz band and are suitable for high-speed communications and radar systems. Molybdenum disulfide transistors perform well in low-power logic circuits and photodetectors, and are expected to be widely used on the Internet of Things and wearable devices. These examples fully demonstrate the great potential of two-dimensional materials in transistors.

四.The challenge of two-dimensional material transistors

Although two-dimensional materials show significant advantages in transistors, their practical applications still face many challenges. First, the large-scale preparation and integration technology of two-dimensional materials is not yet mature. At present, the preparation of high-quality two-dimensional materials mainly relies on mechanical stripping and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods, but these methods have limitations in terms of yield, uniformity and cost control. In addition, the integration of 2D materials with existing semiconductor processes also faces technical challenges such as interface control, defect management, and thermal stability.

Secondly, the stability and reliability of two-dimensional materials need to be solved. For example, graphene is easy to oxidize in air, and molybdenum disulfide is easy to decompose at high temperatures, which affects the long-term stability and service life of the device. In addition, defects and impurities of two-dimensional materials have a significant impact on their electrical properties, and how to effectively control and repair these defects is the focus of current research.

Finally, the performance optimization and design methods of two-dimensional material transistors still need to be further explored. Different from traditional silicon-based transistors, the electrical properties of 2D material transistors are greatly affected by material thickness, interface state and external environment. How to optimize device performance under these complex conditions is an important topic.

五. Future development direction and prospect

Despite many challenges, the research and application prospects of two-dimensional material transistors are still broad. In the future, with the continuous progress of preparation and integration technology, two-dimensional material transistors are expected to achieve breakthrough applications in many fields. First, in the field of flexible and transparent electronics, the high transparency and mechanical flexibility of two-dimensional materials make them an ideal choice. For example, flexible transistors based on graphene and molybdenum disulfide can be used in applications such as wearables, flexible displays and smart skin.

Secondly, in the field of low power and high-frequency electronics, the high carrier mobility and low power characteristics of two-dimensional material transistors make them have important application potential on the Internet of Things, 5G communications and radar systems. For example, graphene-based RF transistors can achieve higher operating frequencies and lower power consumption to meet the needs of future communication systems.

In addition,  two-dimensional material transistors also show unique advantages in emerging fields such as quantum computing and  neuromorphic computing. For example,  semiconductor 2D materials such as molybdenum disulfide can be used to build quantum dots and single-photon sources,  providing the foundational components for quantum computing. Two-dimensional materials with adjustable bandgaps,  such as black phosphorus, could be used to build neuromorphic devices that mimic the behavior of biological neurons,  propelling the development of artificial intelligence hardware.

2D material technology has a broad application prospect in transistors, and its unique physical and electrical properties provide a new solution to overcome the limitations of traditional silicon-based transistors. Despite challenges in preparation, integration and stability, 2D material transistors are expected to achieve breakthrough applications in flexible electronics, high-frequency electronics and emerging computing as technology continues to advance. In the future, through interdisciplinary cooperation and technological innovation, 2D material technology will bring revolutionary changes to the transistor and the entire semiconductor industry, and promote the further development of information technology and electronic devices.