High-performance graphene transistors made using sticky tape

High-performance graphene transistors made using sticky tape:

Peel and stick fabrication of graphene transistors.

Nathan Weiss and Xiangfeng Duan

Graphene could be a useful material for high-performance transistors because it carries electrons faster than silicon. Since graphene transistors can’t be turned off, they’re more useful for RF applications than logic circuits. Now researchers in California have boosted the performance, while simplifying the production, of graphene RF transistors.
A traditional transistor has a silicon or metal semiconductor channel sandwiched between source and drain electrodes. Applying voltage between a gate electrode on top of the channel and the source electrode allows current to flow through the channel. Adding a small RF signal to the gate electrode while the transistor is carrying current amplifies that signal as it comes out of the drain.
Since graphene carries electrons faster than silicon, filling channels with the carbon sheet could speed signals running through the transistor. But high-performance graphene transistors can’t be made using standard fabrication techniques. Building a gate electrode atop graphene damages the carbon sheet and reduces its electron-carrying ability.
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