Advances in Engineering Toolkits for Construction of Ultralow Disordered Van der Waals Heterostructures

Abstract

The exploration of emerging quantum phenomena by stacking dissimilar atomic layered materials into van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures has driven the development of layer assembly techniques. Achieving ultralow disorder within these heterostructures is crucial for unlocking their novel physical properties. However, current fabrication methods for designer heterostructures have limitations in throughput, yield, and scalability. Over the past decade, engineering toolkits have evolved to address some of these challenges, but their adoption for fabricating designer heterostructures remains limited. In this review, an overview of these emerging engineering toolkits is provided, and examine their utility and limitations in achieving ultralow disordered heterostructures. It is hoped that the insights from this review article can help guide future research directions on advancing the fabrication process of designer heterostructures.