http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/ Engadget Comments for IBM opens up graphene bandgap, edges closer to commercialization http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/
Looks like some failed HTML injection there Mr. Gates.]]>Jan 28th 2010 2:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/
Oh weird, there was a hanging div tag in your comment there a moment ago.]]>Jan 28th 2010 2:14PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/Jan 28th 2010 2:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/Jan 28th 2010 2:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/Jan 28th 2010 2:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/
The sound of this article going over my head.]]>Jan 28th 2010 2:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/Whew, I thought I might be the only one.]]>Jan 28th 2010 2:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/It says "IBM perfected a cool new toy that threatens to usurp the "round hole/square peg" game [of technology]". Just in a different (really long) language...]]>Jan 28th 2010 2:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/
Atoms in a crystal share energy levels, which are then referred to as "bands". There's a conduction band (when electrons have enough energy to leave their atoms and go wondering around, conducting electricity) and a valence band (where electrons don't have enough energy to conduct, and are stuck to their parent atoms). The gap between these two bands is called the "bandgap".

Metals have overlapping bands (negative bandgap), so nearly all of their electrons can move around and conduct electricity, making them good conductors. Insulators have large bandgaps, making it difficult for an electron to jump to the valence band conduct electricity. Semiconductors have small bandgaps, meaning that if we give the electrons enough energy, they'll be able to conduct through the semiconductor.

Bandgaps are very important in all aspects of electronics. By engineering junctions (the place where two materials meet has a warped bandgap depending on the materials), we can get some interesting electrical properties. For example, we can make current flow in only one direction and make a diode.

Since graphene had no bandgap (the conduction and valence bands were the same), it would conduct like a metal. That isn't useful, since we have no control over how much it conducts. By altering the material to separate the bands, graphene may have a future as a semiconductor.]]>Jan 28th 2010 4:35PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/
Nice explanation. Q: if graphene isn't a natural semiconductor and will require constant alteration (extra cost?), does the "enhanced carrier mobility" really offer a justifiable alternative to silicon?]]>Jan 28th 2010 5:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/Jan 28th 2010 5:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/Excellent summary. I feel able to actually ingest the info in this article now, thanks to you!]]>Jan 28th 2010 9:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/
The process they go through to make electronics grade silicon is just insane, so complexity probably isn't much of an issue. Silicon is just really useful because it's the second most abundant element in the Earth's crust (after Oxygen), and because its natural oxide SiO2 (glass) is a great insulator and at the nano level actually lets materials diffuse through it (through glass!). It's a really handy material.

Also:
"Insulators have large bandgaps, making it difficult for an electron to jump to the valence band conduct electricity." should read:
"Insulators have large bandgaps, making it difficult for an electron to jump from the valence band to the conduction band and conduct electricity."]]>Jan 28th 2010 10:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/
IBM stuff? Lazerbeam fusion articles? Yes please!]]>Jan 28th 2010 2:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/Jan 28th 2010 2:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/You sound much smarter than I, so I will agree with about silicon. I thought graphene's first application would be to replace indium in LCDs. I thought indium supplies are supposed to run out soon.]]>Jan 28th 2010 2:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/Jan 28th 2010 2:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/
My electronics professor told me that it would take another maybe 20-30 years before hitting the silicon ceiling of performance.]]>Jan 28th 2010 2:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/Jan 28th 2010 2:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/Jan 28th 2010 3:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/Jan 28th 2010 2:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/Jan 28th 2010 2:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/Jan 28th 2010 2:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/Jan 28th 2010 3:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/Nice...]]>Jan 28th 2010 6:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ibm-opens-up-graphene-bandgap-edges-closer-to-commercialization/Jan 28th 2010 5:00PM