Researchers Claim First Functioning Graphene-Based Chip

Researchers at Georgia Tech, led by Professor Walt de Heer, have developed the world's first functioning graphene-based semiconductor, potentially revolutionizing electronics with faster traditional computers and new possibilities for quantum computing. Published in Nature, their research utilizes epitaxial graphene, a carbon crystal bonded to silicon carbide, to create a novel semiconducting material, semiconducting epitaxial graphene (SEC), also known as epigraphene. This material exhibits enhanced electron mobility compared to silicon, enabling transistors to operate at terahertz frequencies, about 10 times faster than current silicon-based transistors. This new semiconductor exhibits a significant bandgap, a key requirement for efficient transistors, and could mark a paradigm shift in electronics, moving beyond silicon to more efficient and compatible materials like silicon carbide and boron nitride. While promising, the technology still requires further development to fully realize its potential in digital electronics and quantum computing. https://spectrum.ieee.org/graphene-semiconductor

IEEE Spectrum

Researchers Claim First Functioning Graphene-Based Chip

The semiconductor bests silicon alternatives for electron mobility