Graphene and the Future of Nanoelectronics

What Is It?

Graphene is a single atomic layer of carbon arranged into a hexagonal crystal lattice, first isolated (by splitting graphite) and characterized in 2004 by Profs. Andre Geim and Kostya Novoselov of the U.K.’s University of Manchester, earning them the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics.

How Does It Work?

Since 2004, researchers have uncovered many of the unusual and superlative properties of graphene:

  • It has the highest electron and hole mobility of any known material at room temperature.
  • Its thermal conductivity rivals that of diamond. 
  • Mechanically it is 100 times stronger than steel, while being highly flexible.
  • Its unique and highly desirable optical properties in broad spectral range, from ultra-violet (UV) to terahertz (THz), are just beginning to be systematically explored.

What Will It Accomplish?

  • Ultra low power, flexible electronic devices operating at terahertz (THz) frequencies and above
  • High-speed and highly sensitive infrared photodetectors
  • THz laser emitters and modulation devices
  • Ultra-compact plasmonic devices and circuits that combine electronics and optics on the same chip
  • All of these will enable revolutionary warfighting capabilities

With the end of Moore’s law in sight, we can no longer count on the continued shrinking of transistors indefi nitely. As a result, we are facing technical challenges at several levels: materials synthesis and characterization, novel nanodevices circuits, new computing architectures and nanofabrication.

The Office of Naval Research (ONR) nanoelectronics program thrusts are specifically designed to address each of those challenges.

Since 2005, ONR has been supporting various aspects of graphene research, in order to use it as a material platform for future nanoelectronic devices, circuits and systems. For example, one of the key technical issues for graphene-based electronic devices, despite its record mobility, is the lack of an electronic bandgap in bulk graphene (e.g. lateral size of graphene sheet exceeding 1 micron). Early investment in ONR’s program focused on various ways to open a bandgap in graphene, such as using graphene nanoribbons or multi-layer graphene.

More recently we turned our attention to atomic scale molecular engineering of graphene nanostructures using chemical synthesis techniques. This latter approach, while technically more challenging, holds great potential to change the entire landscape of nanoelectronics beyond the transistor era. The anticipated benefi ts for warfi ghters of this high-risk, basic research project include:

  • Personal electronic aids for individual warfi ghters that are fl exible and lightweight, with extremely low power consumption to enhance battlefield situational awareness
  • Electronic components that meet and exceed the size weight and power (SWaP) requirements for real-time information processing onboard small unmanned air vehicles (UAV’s), thereby unleashing their power in areal reconnaissance and surveillance missions
  • The combination of graphene’s superior electronic properties with the other, equally unique, properties in optical (THz to UV), thermal and mechanical domains could lead to completely new and hitherto unforeseen capabilities for both military and civilian applications

Research Challenges and Opportunities:

  • Understanding the fundamental materials properties and synthesis techniques for graphene
  • Utilizing graphene’s superior functionalities to build electronic, optoelectronic, magnetic and mechanical devices
  • Integrating graphene devices and circuits to build components and systems with clear advantages in size, weight and power

Points of Contact:

Dr. Chagaan Baatar
chagaan.baatar@navy.mil

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