Manchester team discovers computer chip breakthrough
Transistors made by scientists at the University of Manchester could hold the key to unlocking the full commercial potential of 'wonder material' graphene, according to new research.
Graphene had been touted as the next silicon but was found to be too conductive to be used in computer chips. The potential had attracted the attention of a number of major chip manufacturers across the world.
The Manchester team, led by Nobel laureates Professor Andre Geim and Professor Konstantin Novoselov, has discovered that using transistors in a different way could make the material suitable for use in electronics.
Professor Novoselov said: "It is a new vista for graphene research and chances for graphene-based electronics never looked better than they are now.
"It really offers endless opportunities both for fundamental physics and for applications. Other possible examples include light emission diodes, photovoltaic devices, and so on."
The findings were published in Science.
