Several topics have been discussed in this paper with the view to demonstrating the significant effects of the heterogeneous structures of inorganic semiconductors and graphene with various dimensions. Most of these effects were not even anticipated a decade ago. The effort put into the area is being disseminated across an increasing number of laboratories around the world. It involves many aspects of research, including optoelectronics, physical chemistry, and nanotechnologies, among others. Modern techniques in microscopic and electronic measurements allow us to carry out very sophisticated experiments on atomically thin graphene sheets and ultrasmall semiconductor structures. Meanwhile, progress in this area strongly depends on the chemical constitution and physical organization of the heterogeneous structures. It is true that the topic of this review is directly based on the discovery and development of graphene, which has prompted new phenomena and characteristics related to inorganic semiconductors. It is also true that the effect of the inorganic semiconductors on the end function and form of graphene in the heterogeneous structures is not negligible. General discussions presented here regarding the hybrid materials based on inorganic semiconductors and graphene, on one hand, concern the synthesis, properties, and applications. The specific categories, on the other hand, represent the collective characteristics pertaining to a particular group as well as the unique characteristics associated with the relevant inorganic semiconductors and the graphene together. The way the heterogeneous structures are organized can be relatively straightforward or involve a number of different techniques. This is dependent on the nature of the inorganic semiconductors, the form of the graphene, and the desired end functions.

As supported by the many studies discussed in this review, much notable work has been performed in this field to integrate graphene into electronic devices based on inorganic semiconductors. In summary, although it seems unlikely that commercially applicable graphene-based memory chips and microprocessors will be routinely available in the next decade, great progress is being made. It is expected that graphene, with extremely high charge-carrier mobility, will improve device performance and increase the range of potential functions. However, as pointed out, complex integration of graphene into the inorganic semiconductor-based devices is still challenging. Examples discussed in this paper indicate that delicate control over the fabrication or growth of graphene for the intended application is essential. If commercial production is to succeed, then relevant processes will need to be more explicit, reproducible, and compatible with the materials involved in industry. Clearly, the fabricated systems will also need to be stable during their performance lifetimes. This requires significant improvement over current levels. Nevertheless, where graphene and representative inorganic semiconductors are concerned, it is believed that, as shown in this review, an even broader range of areas for future applications is being steadily developed.