Different proposa
ls of graphene transistors based on off-p
lane (i.e., vertica
l) transport, have recent
ly appeared in the
literature, exhibiting experimenta
l current modu
lation of a factor 10
4–10
5 at room temperature. These devices overcome the
lack of bandgap that undermines the operation of graphene transistors, and positive
ly exp
loit graphene’s u
ltimate thinness, high conductivity, and
low density of states. However, very
litt
le is known about vertica
l transport through graphene and two-dimensiona
l materia
ls, either in terms of experiments or theory.
In this paper we will discuss the physics and the electronics of off-plane transport through hetero-structures of graphene and 2D materials. We investigate transport across vertical heterostructures of 2D materials with multi-scale simulations, including first-principle density functional theory and non-equilibrium Green’s functions based on NanoTCAD ViDES. We show that unexpected behaviors emerge, which are not observed in the more familiar semiconductor heterostructures based on III–V and II–VI materials systems, and that are not predicted by simplistic physical models. Such properties have a significant impact on the design and performance of transistors for digital or high frequency operations.