The future is of graphene

2007/06/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Diseinua
• Elektronika
• Ingeniaritza
• Teknologia

In the electronics industry, smaller components are manufactured in order to manufacture smaller and more complex instruments. The most used material for the manufacture of these components is silicon. However, industrial forecasts indicate that, by 2020, the limit of reduction of silicon instruments will be reached and they will have to look for some substitute material to obtain smaller tools. A team of engineers from the University of Manchester states that this material will be graphene.

Graphene is a sheet of carbon atoms thick. Very stable at room temperature, flexible, resistant and good conductor of electricity. Silicon, below a certain size, is oxidized and decomposes at room temperature. That is why they say that graphene will be a substitute for silicon.

However, the techniques of making small electronic devices with graphene present a series of problems that must be overcome and that require several years. Engineers believe that when the ability to reduce silicon reaches the limit can be worked with graphene.