Interlayer Coupling in Two-Dimensional Semiconductor Materials

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent advances in understanding interlayer coupling in 2D semiconductor heterostructures, highlighting its role in controlling material properties and enabling new physics and device functionalities.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of recent progress in interlayer coupling in 2D semiconducting heterostructures, emphasizing potential applications.

Findings

Interlayer coupling influences exfoliation and assembly of vdW heterostructures.

Modulating interlayer interactions enables control over electronic and optical properties.

Interlayer coupling offers new physics and device engineering opportunities.

Abstract

Two-dimensional (2D) graphene-like layered semiconductors provide a new platform for materials research because of their unique mechanical, electronic and optical attributes. Their in-plane covalent bonding and dangling-bond-free surface allow them to assemble various van der Waals heterostructures (vdWHSs) with sharply atomic interfaces that are not limited by lattice matching and material compatibility. Interlayer coupling, as a ubiquitous phenomenon residing among 2D materials (2DMs) systems, controls a thin layer exfoliation process and the assembly of vdWHSs and behaves with a unique degree of freedom for engineering the properties of 2DMs. Interlayer coupling provides an opportunity to observe new physics and provides a novel strategy to modulate the electronic and optoelectronic properties of materials for practical device applications. We herein review recent progress in the exploration of interlayer coupling in 2D semiconducting vdWHSs for potential applications in electronics and optoelectronics.