News Article
Semiconductor substitute 'could come in form of graphenes'
Silicon used in semiconductors could be replaced by graphenes because of qualities including being impermeable to gases.
A semiconductor substitute for silicon has been revealed as graphenes - two-dimensional carbon layers - as their electronic capabilities can be varied by "building in" arrays of holes in their structure, Empa - Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research, reported.
The structure of graphene represents a honeycomb and is a strong thermal conductor, tear-resistant and is impermeable to gases. As such, it can be used in applications involving air-tight membranes and could replace silicon in silicon technologies.
Physicists at Empa joined with the the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz to synthesise a graphene-like polymer with defined pores. The researchers method resulted in a porous form of graphene with pore-to-pore spacings of less than a nanometre.
"By inserting holes of a specific size and distribution into graphene sheets, it should be possible to impart the material particular electronic characteristics," Empa stated.
Since 1988, Empa has focused more on research and development than materials testing.
The structure of graphene represents a honeycomb and is a strong thermal conductor, tear-resistant and is impermeable to gases. As such, it can be used in applications involving air-tight membranes and could replace silicon in silicon technologies.
Physicists at Empa joined with the the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz to synthesise a graphene-like polymer with defined pores. The researchers method resulted in a porous form of graphene with pore-to-pore spacings of less than a nanometre.
"By inserting holes of a specific size and distribution into graphene sheets, it should be possible to impart the material particular electronic characteristics," Empa stated.
Since 1988, Empa has focused more on research and development than materials testing.
