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What is Graphene?

Graphene is a one-atom-thick layer of carbon atoms that are bonded in a repeating hexagonal pattern. This flat pattern grants it many amazing characteristics which earn it the title “wonder material”. It was first discovered by the Nobel prize achievers Andre Geim and Kostya Novoselov in 2004. Graphene is one atomic layer of graphite and it can absorb light of all visible wavelengths, which is the reason for its black color yet a single graphene sheet is nearly transparent because of its thinness. Graphene is one million times thinner than paper and it is regarded as two-dimensional. The material is also about 200 times stronger than steel of the same thickness. In addition, the properties like sp2 hybridization and atomic thickness (0.345 nm) of graphene set its records in terms of strength, electricity, and heat conduction. It is technically a non-metal but is often called a quasi-metal due to its extraordinary electrical and mechanical properties. It is truly a material that can evolve the industries around the world. And some companies, such as Tata Steel, Graphenea, CUMI Grafino, etc., are focusing on the production of high-quality industrial graphene and graphene-reinforced materials.

Need for Graphene

Graphene possesses many valuable properties that make it a much-studied material with great possibilities. The industry is appraising several new materials but graphene is authorized as having the greatest potential, making it perfect for a wide range of applications including anti-corrosion coatings and paints, faster and efficient electronics, flexible displays, and sensors. Moreover, the extremely thin and lightweight property of graphene makes it an attractive material for nanotechnology applications. Besides high thermal and electrical conductivity, graphene acquires other outstanding properties such as high elasticity, flexibility, hardness, resistance, density, antibacterial effect, etc. Thus, graphene has applicability in numerous sectors and industries such as electronics, automobiles, medical, sports, etc. By introducing this material into the solar panels it will be possible to increase the efficiency and production of solar energy. In the field of electronics, graphene is used in manufacturing microchips, transistors, conductive inks which allow circuit printing, and ultra-flat electronic circuits. Also, graphene can be used to make bionic devices and biosensor devices that can directly connect to the body's neurons and can measure blood glucose, cholesterol respectively. Moreover, there are many possible potential uses of graphene such as ultra-fast charging of batteries, faster flash memory, ultra-thin touchscreen, headphones with phenomenal frequency response, bendable batteries, etc. As a result, graphene has emerged as an incredible material with the most promising outcomes.

Limitation of Silicon

Graphene gives the possibility of significant advancements in device performance at the atomic level. Its incredible potential has been shown to be a viable alternative to silicon technology's limits. Contact resistance is one of the limiting factors in future silicon chip design. Graphene's characteristics can be altered to make it work as a metal-like interconnect as well as a semiconductor component like a transistor removing the necessity for contact resistance. Silicon semiconductor technology, with its incredible capabilities, has proved beneficial for the advancement of our society. Silicon provides designers and engineers with a blank canvas to create long-term improvements in capacity and performance. However, the rate has reduced significantly in recent years as silicon deteriorates. Companies whose competitive advantages were predicated on continuous innovation have seen their lead diminish as competitors catch up. According to the McKinsey study, when a large number of competitors enter the market, prices fall by ten to fifteen percent. As corporations transition to next-generation fabs, their costs continue to climb. Corporations are expected to increase capital spending by forty percent and R&D spending by 150 percent. Manufacturing equipment has increased by nearly $2 billion since the sector switched to multi-patterning, which is the principal reason for raising capital expenses. Aside from the business challenges, the continued growth of silicon is in question because technology has caught up with the material's physical constraints. As a result, there is a pressing need to replace silicon with new materials in order to meet future computing requirements as well as the need for application diversification. It is uncertain that the silicon industry will continue to grow at the same rate as in previous decades. Suitable silicon alternatives are required for developing next-generation semiconductor-based electronics with increased power and performance. Graphene is considered to have the most potential in this field. It has the ability to completely replace silicon in electronics. Graphene will also need to demonstrate that it provides a better long-term value proposition. Graphene could shape the future of highly specialized electronics such as printable, wearable, and dynamic electronics. This is because of the synergistic benefits of both conductive and structural graphene features in these devices, which few alternatives can match. The replacement of silicon will be heavily reliant on companies fostering large-scale graphene adoption. They must decide whether to continue investing in silicon or to contribute to the development of novel materials capable of delivering improved performance while maintaining revenue growth.

Challenges in Graphene production

Despite the advantages of graphene over silicon, this material still faces some challenges in its mass production. Though small flakes of graphene can be separated, it is difficult to make large sheets for commercial use. The cost price has dropped substantially after the first commercial appearance of graphene in 2004. For example, the price of sheet graphene has fallen to one-third, while the cost of powdered & liquid graphene has fallen to one-fourth of its initial price. However, the initial material costs are high, promoting applications that take advantage of multiple graphene properties, leading to early adoption. According to some reports, 44 companies are currently marketing graphene-based materials. Still, only a few graphene-based items have made it to market, such as HEAD tennis rackets, Vorbeck battery straps, and Samsung phone touch screens. Although these are considered initial market entrants, they are not a wave of full-scale commercialization. The volume production of graphene is also affected through the resistance created by current technologies, storage, transport, health, and safety. For example, graphene in solution is especially tough to store and transport. Health and safety measures are something that the graphene industry has to take care of, but like other nanotechnologies, they are not laid out clearly. High-quality graphene is a highly conductive material that does not have a bandgap and cannot be switched off. Thus, to use graphene in future nanoelectronic devices, it is necessary to incorporate a bandgap. It infers that more research and development is required in the future for graphene to replace silicon in electrical systems. Therefore, increasing mass production over the next two to five years and focussing on material costs and consistency is a great challenge for the graphene industry.

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