After being hyped as "the next big thing" in semiconductors for a decade and more, it looks as if a significant step forward has been made towards realising graphene's potential - at least, in regards to its potential to replace silicon and smash through many of the limitations looming for the latter material. Researchers have been able to grow graphene on the surface of silicon carbide wafers. Graphene as a semiconductor could open up much faster computing, and could handle much greater currents than silicon can without breaking down. Critically, current semiconductor manufacturing techniques can be used to create graphene-based semiconductors, so the transition away from silicon could be much less challenging than feared. Read more here.
Brad Connor
