Bridging thermal innovations to the design of 2D materials-based electronic devices

Abstract

Two-dimensional (2D) materials hold significant promise for next-generation nanoelectronics while introducing critical thermal management challenges. The extreme thinness, anisotropic heat transport, and unique interfacial coupling make the thermal design principles of 2D materials-based electronics fundamentally different from that of bulk systems. In this Perspective, we discuss exciting opportunities that leverage recent advances in thermal science to unlock unprecedented thermal management capabilities, thereby providing new insights into the design of 2D materials-based electronics. We first provide an overview of key thermophysical properties of 2D materials that govern thermal management performance, including in-plane thermal conductivity, interfacial thermal conductance, and thermal expansion coefficient. Then, we not only highlight important physical phenomena distinct from bulk materials but more notably illustrate how the interplay among these thermophysical properties ultimately dictates the unique characteristics of heat dissipation and thermomechanical stress in 2D materials-based electronic devices. With both material- and device-level insights, we identify key thermal bottlenecks in existing 2D materials-based electronic devices and present a fully quantitative roadmap toward an electrical and thermal co-design strategy for substantially improved thermal management. Bridging thermal innovations to the device design, we envision this Perspective can foster next-generation thermal management technologies for reliable 2D materials-based electronics.