Graphene Electronics

Intro:
Nearly everyone in the US uses electrical devices every single day. They are necessary to
complete work, make meals, communicate with each other and much more. While the devices
we have now are fast and efficient, even better devices will open up new opportunities for
reforming the way we live. When considering the power of electronics, everything comes down
to its size. Since the first electrical devices were created, researchers have worked endlessly to
make them as small as possible and as efficient as possible. However, there are limits to how
small we can make something. As we approach the limit of one material, we need new materials
to continue progressing our technology. Fortunately, a new material called graphene shows
promising results for revolutionizing our electronics. Graphene’s complex electrical properties
tied with its simple structure make it ideal for use in electronics.

Structure:
The genius behind graphene is its simple structure. Graphene is only comprised of carbon
atoms in a hexagonal lattice. This lattice resembles a honeycomb. Every layer of graphene lays
on top of the other loosely. Each layer is bonded very weakly to the layer below it, so they can be
removed easily. This structure is the root of all of graphenes amazing properties.

Image 1: Artistic Rendering of Graphene [7]

The first important property of graphene is its conductivity. Every carbon atom within
this lattice has a free electron. This immense amount of free electrons makes graphene extremely
conductive. Roos [3] says “Graphene [is] the fastest conductor of electricity at room
temperature.” This conduction is very helpful within electronics. Moreover, researchers at MIT
have discovered a way to make graphene a superconductor at room temperature. By laying just
two atom-thick layers of graphene on top of each other with a slight misalignment, the graphene
becomes a super conductor. Super conductors are conductors with no electrical resistance. The
use of these within electronics has long been sought after by researchers. The two layers can also
be realigned to stop them from acting as super conductors. This will allow for interesting
applications for use as switches within the transistors.

Figure 1: The Transistor Gate Length Vs Cutoff Frequency [5]

The above figure comes from Schweirz’s report. The cutoff frequency can be understood at the
speed with which a transistor used as an on-off switch can turn off. This figure shows that the
graphene transistors have competitive cutoff frequencies with other transistors already on the
market.
Secondly, graphene is extremely strong, but it remains extremely flexible.

Figure 2: Ashby Plot with 1-D Carbon Nanostructures (Graphene)[6]

 Figure 3: Mobility Plot of Different Materials[5]
Despite the immense tensile strength of graphene as shown in figure 2, it can still flex a lot
without breaking. The strength comes from the uniform crystal structure. It is very hard to break
those bonds. However, since there is so much space in the crystal structure and the layers can
slide against each other easily, graphene can still bend without plastically deforming. It is not
only stronger, but also more flexible than nearly every metal currently used in electronics. This
makes it very resistant to being damaged even within delicate electronics.
The third property is its thinness. It is a difficult process, but engineers can manufacture
graphene to be made a single atom thick. This amazing thinness will prove wonders for the
miniaturization of electronics in many ways. Also, this thinness makes graphene extremely
sensitive. When it is used as a sensor, it has been shown to be able to detect singular molecules’
presence. This is because the entire piece of graphene is uniform. There are no defects in a single
layer of atoms, so there are no incorrect bindings to the graphene. You can be sure that every
bond is from the correct molecule you are sensing for. In other materials there are more layers
which have uneven surfaces which can lead to unintentional bonding from the wrong molecule.
Graphene sensors can be very useful in electronic components.
The challenging thing with graphene has been developing reliable processes to create
these atom-thick sheets with accuracy and without defects. The processes differ between uses as
well, so the stall with wide spread use of graphene is developing mass-production processes. One
of the current processes is called chemical vapor deposition. First, carbon is decomposed into a
gas at a high temperature. Using a metal catalyst with the carbon can lower the temperature
required for this process. The carbon vapor is then settled onto the a silicon substrate. Once the
carbon forms the hexagonal lattice on this surface it can be moved to a silicon wafer for shaping.
This process currently can not make large pieces of graphene, so improvements are being made
to the method to prepare for mass production of graphene.
Application:
Graphene is smaller, stronger, lighter, and a better conductor than nearly every metal.
There are an immense number of applications that this could be used for within new electronics.
However, creating transistors with graphene is one of the most important applications today. The
transistor is the cornerstone of the electronical devices that everyone uses everyday. Awati [2]
said, “The invention of the transistor fueled the trend toward miniaturization in electronics.” The
trend of making transistors smaller has produced the exponential improvement of computing
power over the last 40 years. We have reached a stage where the devices are already so small that
there are millions of transistors in a single microprocessor, and the current silicon transistors can
not be made much smaller. If we want to continue increasing the output of our processors and
make our computers faster graphene will be able to solve this issue.
Replacing the silicon in transistors with graphene will make them smaller and more
efficient. Graphene is more conductive, sensitive, and stronger than silicone and can be turned
into a switch within the transistor. This will make it much more efficient as a transistor than
silicon. It is also smaller, which will allow for newer transistor designs to be made on even
smaller scales. Graphene transistors will be able to improve the processing power of our
computers two areas.
Other applications in electronics would include graphene wires, sensors, and circuit
connectors. Graphene is still a new material, and we have a lot to learn about it still. Many
companies are working to make products with it, but we will have to wait and see how it changes
the electronics we use everyday.
 Works Cited
[1] M. Bolza. “GFETs.” Graphenea.
https://www.graphenea.com/pages/what-are-graphene-field-effect-transistors-gfets
(accessed Dec. 9, 2023).

[2] R. Awati. “Transistor.” WhatIs. https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/transistor

(accessed Dec. 9, 2023).

[3] D. Roos. “What Is Graphene? The Mind-boggling Wonder Material.” How Stuff Works.
https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/new-inventions/graphene.htm#:~:text=The
%20Carbon%20Atom%20Connection&text=A%20single%20layer%20of%20pristine,gra
nts%20graphene%20its%20impressive%20strength. (accessed Dec. 10, 2023).

[4] J. Chu. “Study: Superconductivity switches on and off in “magic-angle” graphene.” MIT
News.
https://news.mit.edu/2023/study-superconductivity-switches-and-magic-angle-graphene-0
130. (accessed Dec. 10, 2023).

[5] F. Schwierz, "Graphene Transistors: Status, Prospects, and Problems," in Proceedings of

the IEEE, vol. 101, no. 7, pp. 1567-1584, July 2013, doi: 10.1109/JPROC.2013.2257633.

[6] “Ashby Plots for Nanostructures”. ResearchGate.

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/10-Material-property-charts-Ashby-plots-for-nanostr
uctures-Youngs-modulus-vs_fig10_305766738. (accessed Dec. 12, 2023).

[7] “Graphene.” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphene. (accessed Dec. 13,

2023).

[5] is peer reviewed