A group of researchers at Tianjin University, in collaboration with scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology, have developed a semiconductor made from graphene, a material that could potentially revolutionize the semiconductor industry and set a new vector for development in the gadget manufacturing segment.
Graphene is stronger and more flexible than the silicon used to create semiconductors today. Physically, the material is a sheet of carbon atoms. According to a study published in the journal Nature, graphene can outperform silicon by up to ten times. This is especially important as silicon reaches its limit in terms of energy efficiency.
A team led by Ma Lei from Tianjin University worked on this project for eight years. The researchers partnered with collaborators at the Georgia Institute of Technology, led by Walter de Heer. According to them, this is a turning point in the search for alternatives to silicon.
The technology has the potential to revolutionize electronics. The use of new conductors makes it possible to increase the autonomy and energy efficiency of smartphones, and computers based on new silicon chips will be able to work faster. But such a revolutionary leap will take some time. According to Ma Lei’s forecasts, the transition to the use of new semiconductors will require 10 to 15 years.
