Ever smaller and ever more compact - this is the direction in which computer chips are developing, driven by industry. This is why so-called 2D materials are seen as the great hope for the future: they are as thin as a material can possibly be, in extreme cases they consist of only a single layer of atoms. This makes it possible to produce novel electronic components with tiny dimensions, high speed and optimal efficiency.

However, one problem is apparent: electronic components always consist of more than one material. 2D materials can only be used effectively if they can be combined with suitable material systems - such as special insulating crystals. If this is not considered, the advantage that 2D materials are supposed to offer is nullified. A team from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at the TU Wien is now presenting these findings in the journal "Nature Communications".