Technique confirms graphene can be used in computer chips

The team used a new side-view imaging technique to visualise individual atomic graphene layers separated by a layer of insulating material within graphene-based devices. They found that each of the graphene layers within the devices — made by Roman Gorbachev of the university’s Condensed Matter Physics Group — had perfect alignment.

‘This is quite a surprising result,’ said Dr Sarah Haigh from Manchester University’s School of Materials and lead author of a paper written on the research in Nature Materials. ‘If you layer things up at that sort of scale, we would expect them to be distorted and full of gunk.’

According to Haigh, the alignment of the layers determines their properties. She said that ‘gunk’ would increase resistance and lead to an overall degradation in the material’s properties.

Graphene is a single-layered sheet of carbon atoms with excellent electrical conductivity and very low resistance.

The graphene devices made at Manchester University are handed to Haigh after their electrical properties have been measured. She then carves out a slice from the device and studies the layers.