Two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors hold promises for electronic and optoelectronic applications due to their outstanding electrical and optical properties. Despite a short research history, a wide range of ‘proof-of-concept’ devices based on 2D materials have been demonstrated, highlighting their impact in advanced technology. Here we review the unique properties 2D semiconducting materials and their applications in terms of electronic and optoelectronic devices. We summarize all the engineering issues in 2D devices, including material quality, dielectric, and contacts. We also discuss recent advances of 2D semiconductor devices in electronic and optoelectronic applications. This review would help to understand superior performance and multifunctions of 2D semiconductor devices and guide us toward new device applications of 2D semiconductors.

Although the growth of graphene by chemical vapor deposition is a production technique that guarantees high crystallinity and superior electronic properties on large areas, it is still a challenge for manufacturers to efficiently scale up the production to the industrial scale. In this context, issues related to the purity and reproducibility of the graphene batches exist and need to be tackled. When graphene is grown in quartz furnaces, in particular, it is common to end up with samples contaminated by heterogeneous particles, which alter the growth mechanism and affect graphene’s properties. In this paper, we fully unveil the source of such contaminations and explain how they create during the growth process. We further propose a modification of the widely used quartz furnace configuration to fully suppress the sample contamination and obtain identical and clean graphene batches on large areas.

A binder-free graphene anode for Li-ion batteries showing a reversible specific capacity of ∼500 mA h g⁻¹after 100 cycles is demonstrated.