ABSTRACT Wafer‐scale integration of 2D van der Waals (vdW) materials has become essential for advancing next‐generation electronic, photonic and quantum technologies. Although substantial advances have been achieved in epitaxial alignment, large‐area synthesis and deterministic transfer, a unified framework that clarifies how interfaces govern each stage of growth, release and stacking remains underdeveloped. In this review, we synthesize how interfacial atomic arrangement and symmetry dictate single‐crystal nucleation, lateral propagation and coalescence; how interfacial energetics control detachment pathways, transfer fidelity and stacking reproducibility; and how interfacial charge redistribution, roughness and twist uniformity influence carrier transport, interlayer coupling and optical responses. We highlight that interfaces form the central thread connecting wafer‐scale crystal synthesis with high‐fidelity transfer, reproducible heterostructure assembly, and device performance and uniformity. Finally, we argue that establishing wafer‐level quantitative metrics of interfacial adhesion energy, together with dynamic control of interlayer coupling, will transform interface engineering from an empirical art into a predictive, manufacturing‐ready design principle for reliable, large‐area 2D material integration.
Chen et al. (Wed,) studied this question.