Graphene 'nano-origami' creates tiniest microchips yet
Nanomaterial developments could lead to computers and phones running
thousands of times faster

Date:
February 16, 2021
Source:
University of Sussex
Summary:
Experimental physicists have developed the smallest microchips ever
- 100 times smaller than conventional microchips. They believe
that this next generation of microchips could lead to computers
and phones running thousands of times faster.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
The tiniest microchips yet can be made from graphene and other
2D-materials, using a form of 'nano-origami', physicists at the University
of Sussex have found.


==========================================================================
This is the first time any researchers have done this, and it is covered
in a paper published in the ACS Nano journal.

By creating kinks in the structure of graphene, researchers at the
University of Sussex have made the nanomaterial behave like a transistor,
and have shown that when a strip of graphene is crinkled in this way,
it can behave like a microchip, which is around 100 times smaller than conventional microchips.

Prof Alan Dalton in the School of Mathematical and Physics Sciences at
the University of Sussex, said: "We're mechanically creating kinks in
a layer of graphene. It's a bit like nano-origami.

"Using these nanomaterials will make our computer chips smaller
and faster. It is absolutely critical that this happens as computer manufacturers are now at the limit of what they can do with traditional semiconducting technology.

Ultimately, this will make our computers and phones thousands of times
faster in the future.

"This kind of technology -- "straintronics" using nanomaterials as
opposed to electronics -- allows space for more chips inside any
device. Everything we want to do with computers -- to speed them up
-- can be done by crinkling graphene like this." Dr Manoj Tripathi,
Research Fellow in Nano-structured Materials at the University of
Sussex and lead author on the paper, said: "Instead of having to add
foreign materials into a device, we've shown we can create structures
from graphene and other 2D materials simply by adding deliberate kinks
into the structure. By making this sort of corrugation we can create
a smart electronic component, like a transistor, or a logic gate."
The development is a greener, more sustainable technology. Because no additional materials need to be added, and because this process works
at room temperature rather than high temperature, it uses less energy
to create.

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Sussex. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Manoj Tripathi, Frank Lee, Antonios Michail, Dimitris Anestopoulos,
James
G. McHugh, Sean P. Ogilvie, Matthew J. Large, Aline Amorim Graf,
Peter J.

Lynch, John Parthenios, Konstantinos Papagelis, Soumyabrata Roy,
M. A. S.

R. Saadi, Muhammad M. Rahman, Nicola Maria Pugno, Alice A. K. King,
Pulickel M. Ajayan, Alan B. Dalton. Structural Defects Modulate
Electronic and Nanomechanical Properties of 2D Materials. ACS Nano,
2021; DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.0c06701 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/02/210216100141.htm

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