#MATERIALS: "Graphene aims for quantum interference"

A novel, pure-carbon semiconductor fabrication technique promises to enable quantum-interference transistors to harness graphene's ballistic transport. As silicon runs out of gas, researchers from Georgia Tech aim to have epitaxial graphene fabrication techniques ready to fill the tank.


A team of Georgia Tech researchers led by Professor Walt de Heer (shown) has pioneered techniques for fabricating epitaxial graphene nanoribbons using a "templated growth." Georgia Tech Photo: Mali Azima.

Georgia Tech's templated growth technique uses lithography to pattern blank silicon carbide wafers with steps in the locations where they want graphene nanoribbons to form. Then, by using high temperatures to burn off the silicon on the top layer, epitaxial carbon nanoribbons form with widths proportional to the size or the step—15-to-40 nanometer in the demonstration with the potential for sub-10 nanometer widths...
Further Reading: http://bit.ly/NextGenLog-dVbi