Graphene in Electronics: Beyond Capacitors and Conductors

Graphene is a conductor with extraordinary properties which is why they are used for many digital electronic applications including for electronic capacitors and electronic components. This substance is a single layer structure composed of carbon atoms that are arrange following a hexagonal pattern. 

It is the main component of graphite that is also used for making pencil tips and a host of other applications. Graphene is an amazing substance with so many incredible characteristics which has earned it the name wonder material. Among these amazing properties includes optical, electrical, mechanical and thermal behaviors. 

Even though most research work focused on the utilization of graphene as a replacement for silicon especially in next generation computer chips it’s important to note that there are more potential applications of graphene to be explored within the electronics industry. Continue reading to find out more about these potential applications.

Graphene and the First Textile Electrode

A group of researchers from the Institute for Systems Engineering and Computers, Microsystems and Nanotechnology in Lisbon, the Belgian Textile Research Center, and the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom have utilized graphene for the development of the first textile electrode. Basically this research team utilized chemical vapor deposition to develop a monolayer graphene. 

The use of chemical vapor deposition for the production of graphene is compromised in a case where the graphene is grown on a copper substrate. However their research found a way to remove the graphene from copper sheet and transfer it without altering the electronic properties of graphene. The main benefit of this research is the it allows for a wide range of application including biomedical monitoring, textile GPS systems, communication tools especially for people with sensory impairments and as personal security. 

Graphene Coating for Use in Flexible Electronics

There are many research efforts channeled towards unleashing the full potential of graphene and one of these research efforts explored coating copper nanowires with graphene. The effect of this was a reduction in the susceptibility and resistance to heating of copper wires. This further enhances the potential for applying copper wires in different types of electronics including flexible varieties. 

The use of highly conductive copper nanowires is vital for heat conduction and data transfer both of which are key for multiple applications. Some key applications where this is vital include transparent displays and high performance semiconductor chips. 

Graphene in Thermal Management

With the steady rise in clock speeds and circuit densities thermal management concerns are also becoming paramount. Since graphene has a high thermal conductivity it has been explored as a solution to thermal management concerns. Fortunately, researchers at Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne have revealed the potential of graphene though the propagation of heat as wave. 

Even though further research is needed in this field the findings is a good starting point for engineers to fully understand the thermal conductivity mechanism in graphene and other similar materials as well as how they can be valuable as a solution for thermal management. 

Magnetized Graphene in Data Storage

Even though a vast majority of graphene’s use in electronics focuses on digital logic application there are now improvements that allows for its application in digital memory solutions. According to research findings from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory graphene has been successfully filled with magnetic properties that could be applied in hard drives today. 

Before now there are many research efforts to magnetize graphene that weren’t successful. However the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory was able to achieve this with a scalable and simple process. This process involved placing graphene layer over silicon wafer which is then placed in cryogenic ammonia containing little quantities of Lithium. The process  also includes the addition of hydrogen to the wafer thereby making it ferromagnetic. 

Graphene in Spintronics

Spintronics especially that which involves the use of spin of electrons for encoding information has shown great promise especially for the world of computing. This is already evident in the migration of disk drives that can be used for higher storage capacity unlike what was obtainable in the previous generation because of what is known as magneto resistance. 

Graphene was never believed to impact the future of spintronics because it never showed any potential to affect the electron spins. However this perception changed following the discovery that placing a small bend in graphene structure could change its effect of electron spins. 

Future spin based components are expected to have electrons that can travel micrometers while maintaining their spins. Metals like copper and aluminum don’t have the capacity to handle this requirement while graphene remains that only material that can deliver this potential. 

The Future of Graphene Based Supercapacitors

Graphene based supercapacitors have a very lightweight dimension and low cost of production. In addition these supercapacitors enjoy the elastic properties of graphene as well as its mechanical strength. With that it’s certain that the next few years will see many supercapacitors being incorporated in different technologies. Also the growing need for development in energy storage limits will make graphene based supercapacitors to be utilized for many applications. 

There are also vehicles that now make use of supercapacitors as a Chinese company now manufactures buses with supercapacitor energy recovery systems in them. The aim of this is to help in storing energy when the brake is applied and converting this energy to power the vehicle. It is also expected that in the next few years there will be mobile electronic devices and mobile phones that will be fully powered by graphene based supercapacitors because of their ability to change faster than the conventional lithium ion batteries and their potential to last longer. 

Other potential applications of supercapacitors include use as power backup supplies for homes and industries. With that businesses and different industries can invest in these solutions for their ability to store energy at high voltages. There are so many other potential applications of graphene based supercapacitors and what’s certain is that research will continue to unveil newer ways these substances can be applied in different sectors.