Two-dimensional (2D) materials such as graphene or transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have attracted considerable interest due to their atomically thin structures, unique electronic/mechanical properties, and exciting potential for creating a new generation of technologies that can transform diverse areas include electronics, energy and biomedicine. Here I will first give a brief overview of our research efforts on the synthesis of a wide range of 2D materials and exploration of diverse technological opportunities. I will then focus my discussion on exploring graphene and its heterostructures for the construction of a series of electronic and optoelectronic devices with unprecedented performance or unique characteristics not readily available in traditional silicon electronics. In particular, we will discuss the creation of ultra-high speed analog transistors from atomically thin graphene or TMD materials. We will describe a new design of vertical field-effect transistors and a highly efficient gate tunable pohotodetection/photovoltaic device based on vertical heterostructures of 2D materials. Lastly, we will discuss a new concept of vertical thin film transistors (VTFTs) that can enable a new generation of TFTs with unprecedented performance and flexibility, by using the heterostructures between graphene and conventional thin film semiconductors.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials such as graphene or transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have attracted considerable interest due to their atomically thin structures, unique electronic/mechanical properties, and exciting potential for creating a new generation of technologies that can transform diverse areas include electronics, energy and biomedicine. Here I will first give a brief overview of our research efforts on the synthesis of a wide range of 2D materials and exploration of diverse technological opportunities. I will then focus my discussion on exploring graphene and its heterostructures for the construction of a series of electronic and optoelectronic devices with unprecedented performance or unique characteristics not readily available in traditional silicon electronics. In particular, we will discuss the creation of ultra-high speed analog transistors from atomically thin graphene or TMD materials. We will describe a new design of vertical field-effect transistors and a highly efficient gate tunable pohotodetection/photovoltaic device based on vertical heterostructures of 2D materials. Lastly, we will discuss a new concept of vertical thin film transistors (VTFTs) that can enable a new generation of TFTs with unprecedented performance and flexibility, by using the heterostructures between graphene and conventional thin film semiconductors.