Recent advances in layer engineering and controllable fabrication of graphene, h-BN, and transition metal dichalcogenides

Abstract

Multilayer two-dimensional (2D) materials offer expanded opportunities for tuning electronic, optical, and quantum properties compared to their monolayer forms. The number of layers, stacking configuration, and interlayer interactions are critical parameters that govern the physical behavior of these materials, enabling unique functionalities such as tunable bandgaps, interlayer excitons, sliding ferroelectricity, and unconventional superconductivity. This review highlights recent progress in the precise fabrication techniques of multilayer graphene, h-BN, and transition metal dichalcogenides. We compare artificial assembly techniques and direct growth strategies (chemical vapor deposition), emphasizing their advantages, limitations, and progress toward achieving uniform thickness, high crystallinity, and clean interfaces. The ability to engineer multilayer structures plays an essential role in improving device performance and realizing new quantum states of matter. By discussing fabrication strategies, growth mechanisms, and interlayer coupling effects, we highlight the significance of multilayer architecture in the development of functional 2D material systems.