Research progress of regulation of physical properties of two-dimensional materials based on thermal scanning probe lithography

With the continuous development of micro-scale exploration, micro/nano fabrication technologies, represented by photolithography and various etching processes, have been widely used for fabricating micro- and nanoscale structures and devices. These developments have driven innovation in fields such as integrated circuits, micro-nano optoelectronic devices, and micro-electromechanical systems, while also bringing new opportunities to fundamental scientific research, including the study of microscopic property regulation mechanisms. In recent years, as an emerging micro-nano fabrication technology, thermal scanning probe lithography (t-SPL) has shown promise and unique advantages in applications related to the fabrication and property regulation of two-dimensional materials, as well as the creation of nanoscale grayscale structures. By employing the fabrication methods such as material removal and modification, t-SPL can be used as an advanced technology for regulating two-dimensional material properties, or directly effectively regulating various properties of two-dimensional materials, thereby significantly improving the performance of two-dimensional material devices, or advancing fundamental scientific research on the micro/nano scale. This paper starts with the principles and characteristics of t-SPL, analyzes the recent research progress of the micro-nano fabrication and property modulation of two-dimensional materials, including several researches achieved by using t-SPL as the core fabrication methods, such as direct patterning, strain engineering, and reaction kinetics research of two-dimensional materials. Finally, the challenges in t-SPL technology are summarized, the corresponding possible solutions are proposed, and the promising applications of this technology are explored.