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How was the world's first functional graphene semiconductor developed

2024-06-26 10:21

As silicon material chips gradually approach the physical limit of 2nm, the global demand for chips based on high-quality semiconductor materials is increasing dramatically. Two dimensional materials, due to their excellent electronic transmission characteristics and potential high integration, have become a new avenue for scientists and semiconductor companies from various countries to invest in. Graphene, as the first two-dimensional material found to exist stably at room temperature, has been attempted by scientists since its discovery in 2004 to combine with other materials and design a new type of chip that consumes less energy and operates faster than existing semiconductors. However, the unique structure of graphene leads to a "zero bandgap" characteristic, which is the biggest obstacle to the application of graphene in the semiconductor field. Recently, nanoscientists from Tianjin University in China and Georgia Institute of Technology in the United States have developed the world's first functional graphene semiconductor, making it possible to overcome this challenge. "In a sense, this is a leap for people from silicon chips to carbon chips," Professor Ma Lei from Tianjin University, who led the research, told Global Times reporters.

According to the introduction on the website of Tianjin University, Ma Lei's research team has successfully introduced a band gap into graphene through precise control of the growth process of extended graphene, creating a new type of stable semiconductor graphene single crystal. This cutting-edge technology ensures that carbon atoms can form specific highly ordered structures on silicon carbide substrates by strictly controlling the temperature, time, and gas flow rate of the growth environment. The electron mobility of this semiconductor graphene far exceeds that of silicon materials, exhibiting ten times the performance of silicon and possessing unique properties that silicon materials do not possess. The related research result "Ultra high mobility semiconductor epitaxial graphene grown on silicon carbide" was published online on the website of the journal Nature on January 3, 2024.

Ma Lei stated that in this study, the team mainly applied special growth environments and conditions, using SiC crystals to modulate graphene itself and achieve the opening of graphene's band gap. Change the original bandgap free to bandgap free. "Semiconductor graphene has a mobility ten times higher than that of silicon materials at room temperature, while also having a band gap of 0.6 eV. It is a true single crystal graphene semiconductor."

Mare emphasized that "if single crystal semiconductor graphene can be produced on a large scale, it will greatly lay an important foundation for people to enter the carbon age from the silicon age." When asked how far graphene semiconductors are from industrialization, Mare said that it is currently "unpredictable" and "when will they be put into large-scale industrial applications depends on the process of growing from millimeter sized single crystals to inch sized single crystals.".

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