IBM Scientists "Quiet" Unruly Electrons in Atomic Layers of Graphite

Marketwatch ^ | March 6, 2008 | Michael Loughran IBM

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Atomic-Sized Graphene Double Layer Holds Nanoelectronics Promise

YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, NY, Mar 06, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- IBM

Researchers today announced a discovery that combats one of the industry's most perplexing problems in using graphite -- the same material found inside pencils -- as a material for building nanoelectonic circuits vastly smaller than those found in today's silicon based computer chips.

For the first time anywhere, IBM scientists have found a way to suppress unwanted interference of electrical signals created when shrinking graphene, a two-dimensional, single-atomic layer thick form of graphite, to dimensions just a few atoms long.

Scientists around the world are exploring the use of graphene as a much smaller replacement for today's silicon transistors. Graphene is a two-dimensional honeycomb lattice of carbon atoms, similar to atomic-scale chicken-wire, which has attracted strong scientific and technological interest because it exhibits promising electrical properties and could be used in transistors and circuits at scales vastly smaller than components inside of today's tiniest computer chips.

One problem in using these nano-devices is the inverse relationship between the size of the device and the amount of uncontrolled electrical noise that is generated: as they are made smaller and smaller, the noise -- electrical charges that bounce around the material causing all sorts of interference that impede their usefulness -- grows larger and larger. This trend is known as Hooge's rule, and occurs in traditional silicon based devices as well as in graphene nano-ribbons and carbon nanotube based devices.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

fyi

[ShadowAce]

[martin_fierro]

HEY YOU DAMN UNRULY ELECTRONS! STAY OFF MY LAWN!

[Old Professer]

“In their experiments, the IBM Researchers first used a single layer, or sheet, of graphene to build a transistor and noted that the device does in fact follow Hooge’s Rule: as they are made smaller and smaller, there is an increase in the noise that is created.
Two Layers Are Better Than One
However, when the IBM Researchers built the same device with two sheets of graphene instead of one — one stacked on top of the other — they noted that the noise is suppressed, and is weak enough that these so-called bilayer graphene ribbons could prove useful for building future semiconductor devices for use in sensors, communications devices, computing systems and more. The noise is inhibited because of the strong electronic coupling between the two graphene layers that counteracts the influence of the noise sources: the system acts as a noise insulator.”

Thereby making the “smallest” twice as big.

[SunkenCiv]

No wonder I can't sleep nights. ;') Thanks Ernest.

Not string-theory (or at least, not much), but probably of interest.

[TChris]

The noise is inhibited because of the strong electronic coupling between the two graphene layers that counteracts the influence of the noise sources: the system acts as a noise insulator.

Sounds something like atomic-level twisted-pair wire. :-)

[brivette]

thanks!

[Kevmo]

bmflr

[grey_whiskers]

Like, *PING*, dudes.

Cheers!

[RightWhale]

I imagine the engineering formulas for these devices are going to be awesome. They’ll hit that about the junior year in EE. Won’t be pretty.

[onedoug]

Physics are funadamental this side of God.

[grey_whiskers]

Physics are funadamental this side of God.

Kronecker (of Kronecker delta fame) is reported to have said, "God created the integers. All else is the work of man."

Cheers!