Field-Effect Transistor Applications and Performance in Two-Dimensional Materials

The emergence of two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors has transformed the field-effect transistor (FET) landscape by offering atomically thin channels, unique electronic band structures and inherently low short-channel effects. Graphene, the first 2D material, demonstrated exceptional carrier mobility but lacked a bandgap, limiting its switching performance. This led to intense interest in transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) such as MoS₂ and WSe₂, which combine direct bandgaps at monolayer thickness with dangling-bond-free surfaces. These materials enable high on/off current ratios, steep subthreshold swings and mechanical flexibility, opening avenues in logic circuits, flexible electronics, optoelectronic sensors and memory elements. Key performance metrics include field-effect mobility, contact resistance governed by Schottky barriers, subthreshold swing and stability under environmental or thermal stress. Recent device architectures explore nanoribbons, heterostructures and novel contact strategies to mitigate edge disorder and optimise charge injection. Together, these advances chart a path towards scalable, low-power nanoelectronics beyond the limits of silicon technology.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have measured record hole mobilities in p-type few-layer WSe₂ FETs by isolating the channel from oxide traps. Room-temperature field-effect mobilities approached 350 cm²/V·s, while Hall measurements at cryogenic temperatures exceeded 600 cm²/V·s, highlighting the role of interface engineering in minimising disorder and unlocking intrinsic transport. The work underscores the potential of WSe₂ as a silicon-compatible channel for high-performance electronics.

A hybrid one-transistor-one-resistor memory cell has been realised using a surface-functionalised WSe₂ FET co-integrated with a solution-processed WSe₂ resistive random-access memory element. Plasma oxidation reduced the Schottky barrier height to 25 meV, yielding FET mobilities of 230 cm²/V·s and enabling a 100× performance enhancement. Vertically stacked channel FETs were modelled for sub-0.01 µm² memory cells, pointing towards monolithic 3D embedded memories for future computing systems.

Flexible WSe₂-based photodetectors encapsulated in hexagonal boron nitride have demonstrated operation at temperatures up to 700 °C in air, exhibiting negative photoconductivity and ultrahigh photoresponsivity of 2.2 × 10⁶ A/W. The combination of 2D material stability, atomically clean interfaces and FET-like channel control promises new optoelectronic sensors for harsh-environment applications.

Field-Effect Transistor Applications and Performance in Two-Dimensional Materials publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in field-effect transistor applications and performance in two-dimensional materials across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Field-effect mobility: Measure of carrier velocity in a transistor channel in response to an applied electric field.

Schottky barrier: Energy barrier at a metal–semiconductor interface that influences charge-carrier injection and contact resistance.

Subthreshold swing: Gate-voltage change required to vary the drain current by one order of magnitude in the transistor’s subthreshold region.

On/off ratio: Ratio of the transistor’s current when on to when off, indicating its switching contrast.

Two-dimensional material: A crystal consisting of one or a few atomic layers, offering exceptional electronic and mechanical properties.

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs): Layered semiconductors (e.g. MoS₂, WSe₂) with nonzero bandgaps in monolayer form, suited for FET channels.

References

1. Hall and field-effect mobilities in few layered p-WSe2 field-effect transistors. Scientific Reports (2015).
2. All WSe2 1T1R resistive RAM cell for future monolithic 3D embedded memory integration. Nature Communications (2019).
3. High-temperature flexible WSe2 photodetectors with ultrahigh photoresponsivity. Nature Communications (2022).
4. Edge‐Passivated Monolayer WSe2 Nanoribbon Transistors. Advanced Materials (2024).
5. Landauer‐QFLPS Model for Mixed Schottky‐Ohmic Contact Two‐Dimensional Transistors. Advanced Science (2023).
6. Hole mobility enhancement and p -doping in monolayer WSe2 by gold decoration. 2D Materials (2014).