Researchers Take Another Step Toward Use of Graphene in Electronics
Graphene, a one-atom thick lattice of carbon atoms, may one day become the new heart of electronics. Its speed and virtual two-dimensionality make it an attractive alternative to silicon, but several obstacles remain. Now Professor of Chemistry Andrew Rappe's research group, working with colleagues at the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has made inroads in solving one such hurdle.
By demonstrating a new way to change the amount of electrons that reside in a given region within a piece of graphene, they have a proof-of-principle in making the fundamental building blocks of semiconductor devices using the 2-D material. Moreover, their method enables this value to be tuned through the application of an electric field, meaning graphene circuit elements made in this way could one day be dynamically “rewired” without physically altering the device.
The study was published in Nature Communications.
Read the full story here.
