Nanoribbon growth method is compatible with electronic production

The discovery of a method for growing semiconducting ribbons of graphene on a conventional substrate for electronics manufacture could lead to faster development of a new generation of electronics with enhanced capabilities in speed and performance, according to its developers at The University of Wisconsin-Madison. The technique should be easily scalable for mass production and is compatible with techniques already used in the electronics industry, the team claims.

One of the biggest barriers to the widespread use of graphene is the difficulty of making the material in a suitable form in a way that is controllable and repeatable. To be used in electronics, taking advantage of the materials excellent conductivity and  ability to dissipate heat, graphene has to be in a form where current through it can be switched on and off;  this entails producing strips of grapheme 10nm wide with a well-defined edge where carbon-carbon bonds are parallel to the edge (this is known as an ‘armchair’ edge).