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Abstract
The celebrated electronic properties of graphene have opened way for materials just
one-atom-thick to be used in the post-silicon electronic era. An important milestone
was the creation of heterostructures based on graphene and other two-dimensional (2D)
crystals, which can be assembled in 3D stacks with atomic layer precision. These layered
structures have already led to a range of fascinating physical phenomena, and also
have been used in demonstrating a prototype field effect tunnelling transistor - a
candidate for post-CMOS technology. The range of possible materials which could be
incorporated into such stacks is very large. Indeed, there are many other materials
where layers are linked by weak van der Waals forces, which can be exfoliated and
combined together to create novel highly-tailored heterostructures. Here we describe
a new generation of field effect vertical tunnelling transistors where 2D tungsten
disulphide serves as an atomically thin barrier between two layers of either mechanically
exfoliated or CVD-grown graphene. Our devices have unprecedented current modulation
exceeding one million at room temperature and can also operate on transparent and
flexible substrates.