Two-Dimensional Materials and van der Waals Heterostructures as Effective Heat Spreaders for Thermal Management

The increasing power density and miniaturization of electronic devices demand efficient thermal management to prevent overheating and performance loss. Conventional thermal interface materials (TIMs) often struggle with the high heat flux in modern electronics, leading to interest in advanced options like two-dimensional van der Waals heterostructures (2D vdWHs). These materials, with their atomically thin layers and high in-plane thermal conductivity, enable efficient heat transfer across the interfaces. By rapidly dissipating heat, these materials improve device performance and durability, offering a promising solution for managing thermal challenges in next-generation electronics. From both theoretical and experimental views, we summarize the thermal properties of 2D materials and vdWHs, particularly graphene, hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), MXenes, and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) as cutting-edge heat spreaders for high-powered electronics. This review delves into the basics of thermal transport, highlighting phonon-driven conduction, and reviews key models like ab initio calculations and molecular dynamics simulations to understand atomic-scale thermal transport. Key measurement methods and thermal properties of these materials are also discussed in detail. The review also considers the applications of both vertical and lateral vdWHs that enhance overall device performance and addresses material transfer challenges, highlighting future directions to improve thermal management in high-powered electronics.