Graphene Transistors Review

  

     Transistors are a vital component in electrical circuits.  They amplify and switch electrical signals.  The first was built in 1947 and was made with germanium.  The first silicon transistor was created in 1954.  Since then the silicon transistor has found its way into just about every electronic.  The transistors invention was a major invention for electrical engineering and for all technology. Breakthroughs in transistor technology have lead to today's modern transistors which are low-cost and reliable.
     Graphene transistors are possibly the next in line for powerful circuits.  The first graphene transistor was built in 2006.  This early attempt showed graphene's potential; however there were still bugs to work out.  In 2010 IBM made a graphene transistor that can operate at 100GHz.  Some of the fastest silicon transistors operate at 20GHz.  Graphene transistors are are also very small in comparison with silicon transistors.  Graphene transistors being as small as 10 to 15 atoms across while powerful silicon transistors get down to around 20 nanometers.  The major drawback on graphene transistors is that they cannot be turned off.  They always conduct even in an off state.  This greatly limits their current use to analog circuits.  Overall the graphene transistor is not a substitute for silicon.  Maybe with future innovations they can be applied on a larger scale, but today their strengths are eclipsed by their weaknesses.