Van der Waals Integration Beyond the Limits of van der Waals Forces Using Adhesive Matrix Transfer

Van der Waals (vdW) integration uses physical stacking to enable fabrication of pristine heterostructures of 2D materials and materials of varying other dimensionalities for diverse applications in electronics, optoelectronics and quantum technologies. However, vdW integration faces a fundamental limit due to vdW forces being dependent on the intrinsic materials’ optical and electrical properties and thus not readily tailorable to allow direct integration of arbitrary layers. As an example, whereas direct vdW integration of 2D materials with ultrasmooth metallic surfaces are well demonstrated, their direct exfoliation with dielectric surfaces is fundamentally not allowed due to insufficient vdW forces, yet is necessary for various applications. Here, we introduce the adhesive matrix transfer platform to overcome this fundamental limit to enable direct fabrication of conventionally-forbidden vdW heterostructures and single-step 2D material-to-device integration. As no solvents, high-temperatures or sacrificial layers are involved, our platform yields pristine surfaces and interfaces uniquely suited for studying the intrinsic properties of 2D materials and leveraging them in the formation of stable heterostructures and device applications including in improved transistors and sensors which will be discussed.