Graphene at a stretch

Researchers say they have found a simple way to improve the semiconducting properties of the world's thinnest material – simply by stretching it.

The researchers – from Manchester University, the Institute of Materials Science in Madrid, and the University of Nijmegen in the Netherlands – claim that simply stretching graphene – a 2D material just one atom thick – can turn it into a good semiconductor.

Although graphene has become one of the most promising materials for future electronics, one stumbling block has been the lack of an energy 'gap', a common characteristic of silicon and other materials currently used by the semiconductor industry.

While researchers have been able to make graphene-based transistors much smaller and faster than those made from other materials, they have leaked energy even in an idle state making it impossible to use them in integrated circuits.