In a pioneering breakthrough, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have successfully crafted the world’s inaugural functional semiconductor made from graphene, a single sheet of carbon atoms bound together by the strongest known bonds. Published in Nature, the research signals a promising avenue for the future of electronics, particularly as silicon, the predominant material in contemporary electronics, approaches its limits in the face of escalating computing speeds and diminishing device sizes.
Leading the charge is Walter de Heer, Regents’ Professor of physics at Georgia Tech, who spearheaded a team based in Atlanta, Georgia, and Tianjin, China. The team’s achievement centers on creating a graphene semiconductor compatible with conventional microelectronics processing methods—a critical requirement for a viable alternative to silicon.
The pivotal challenge in graphene research, known as the “band gap,” posed a significant hurdle. This essential electronic property enables semiconductors to switch on and off, a fundamental aspect of electronic devices. Previously, graphene lacked a band gap, hindering its viability for electronics. However, the team’s decade-long effort culminated in an exceptionally robust graphene semiconductor exhibiting ten times the mobility of silicon and possessing unique properties absent in silicon.
De Heer and his team achieved a breakthrough by growing graphene on silicon carbide wafers using specialized furnaces, resulting in epitaxial graphene—a single layer adhering to a crystal face of the silicon carbide. When properly fabricated, epitaxial graphene exhibited semiconducting properties by chemically bonding to the silicon carbide.
Through meticulous refinement over the next decade, the team collaborated with the Tianjin International Center for Nanoparticles and Nanosystems at Tianjin University in China. The graphene semiconductor’s performance surpassed that of other 2D semiconductors under development, with ten times greater mobility than silicon. This enhanced mobility facilitates low-resistance electron movement, leading to faster computing—an efficiency likened to driving on a freeway compared to a gravel road.
The team employed a technique called doping, introducing atoms to donate electrons to the graphene without damaging its properties, thereby proving its functionality as a semiconductor. The groundbreaking product is currently the sole two-dimensional semiconductor with the necessary properties for nanoelectronics.
De Heer envisions a paradigm shift in electronics, with graphene-based technologies leveraging the material’s unique properties, including its potential application in quantum computing. Drawing a historical parallel, he likens the achievement to a “Wright brothers moment,” emphasizing the persistent pursuit of innovation that has historically driven advancements in electronic technology.
By Impact Lab
