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Graphene To Replace Silicon In Computer Chips?
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Scientists from University Of Manchester are checking out ways to make graphene usable for manufacturing of computer chips.
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Friday, February 03, 2012:
A third dimension has been opened up in graphene research by a team of scientists from Manchester lead by Nobel laureates Professor Andre Geim and Professor Konstantin Novoselov. According to a paper published this week in Science, just a transistor may be a missing link for graphene to become the next silicon.
The material Graphene is one atomic plane of carbon and has many unique properties, from electronic to chemical and from optical to mechanical. Graphene can also be used as the basic material for computer chips instead of silicon. This major potential property of the material has attracted major chip manufactures, including IBM, Samsung, Texas Instruments and Intel. Several groups across the world have already demonstrated individual transistors with very high frequencies (up to 300 GHz).
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The high frequency transistors can unfortunately not be packed densely in a computer chip as they leak too much current, even in the most insulating state of graphene, states a report from the University of Manchester. This electric current would cause the chips to melt within fraction of seconds.
Since 2004, when Manchester researchers had reported their Nobel-winning graphene findings, this problem has been around. Even after a worldwide effort to solve the problem, no solution has been found yet.
Now, the scientists form the University of Manchester suggest using graphene not laterally (in plane), as used earlier, but in the vertical direction. The scientists used graphene as an electrode from which electrons tunnelled through a dielectric into another metal, which is called a tunnelling diode.
Then a truly unique feature of graphene was used which is that an external voltage can strongly change the energy of tunnelling electrons. It resulted in a new type of device--vertical field-effect tunnelling transistor, wherein graphene is the main ingredient.
“We have proved a conceptually new approach to graphene electronics. Our transistors already work pretty well. I believe they can be improved much further, scaled down to nanometre sizes and work at sub-THz frequencies,” said Dr Leonid Ponomarenko, who headed the experiment.
Professor Novoselov said that it is a new vista for graphene research and chances for graphene-based electronics never looked better than they are at present.
Also, only graphene is not enough to make the breakthrough. Other materials that are only one atom or one molecule thick were also used for help. The transistors were made by the scientists by combining graphene with atomic planes of boron nitride and molybdenum disulfide. Then the assembling of the transistors was done layer by layer in a desired sequence but on an atomic scale.
The layer-by-layer superstructures is a new concept that has been introduced by the Manchester researchers. This kind of atomic-scale assembly offers many new degrees of functionality.
Professor Geim said that the demonstrated transistor is important but the concept of atomic layer assembly is even more important.
According to Professor Novoselov, tunnelling transistor is just one example of the inexhaustible collection of layered structures and novel devices which can now be created by such assembly. “It really offers endless opportunities both for fundamental physics and for applications. Other possible examples include light emission diodes, photovoltaic devices, and so on,” he said.
Upasana Rajpal, EFYTIMES News Network
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