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Graphene: Reversible Method of Magnetic Doping Paves Way For Semiconductor Use

Posted by Soulskill on from the nano-baby-steps dept.

concertina226 writes: A team of physicists at University of California, Riverside have discovered how to induce magnetism in graphene in a way that still preserves the material's electronic properties, which paves the way for graphene to be used as a semiconductor.

The researchers grew a sheet of yttrium iron garnet using laser molecular beam epitaxy in a laboratory (abstract). Magnetic substances like iron are known to disrupt graphene's electrical conduction properties, but yttrium iron garnet works well as it is an electric insulator.

When a graphene sheet was placed on top of an atomically smooth sheet of yttrium iron garnet, the graphene borrowed the magnetic properties from the yttrium iron garnet and became magnetized without the need for doping.

24 of 38 comments (clear)

  1. without the need for doping by Chas · · Score: 2, Funny

    Graphene. Just say "no" to drugs?

    --


    Chas - The one, the only.
    THANK GOD!!!
    1. Re:without the need for doping by Inzkeeper · · Score: 1

      When a graphene sheet was placed on top of an atomically smooth sheet of yttrium iron garnet, the graphene borrowed the magnetic properties from the yttrium iron garnet and became magnetized without the need for doping.

      I agree. I have had enough of hearing about all the doping scandals.
      The last thing I need is news that my writing instrument is high on who-knows-what.
      I can't wait to buy a pencil that will stick to my fridge without having to glue a magnet to it.
      ...and with two sheets built in, I won't have to hunt for paper!

    2. Re:without the need for doping by FatdogHaiku · · Score: 2

      Your CPU's obsolete
      Because of some skinny sheet
      Of Graphene!

      Don't know why
      Don't know why
      Don't know why
      Graphene!

      When your job ain't no fun
      Turn a zero to one
      With Graphene!

      Don't know why
      Don't know why
      Don't know why
      Graphene!

      Apologies to Eric Clapton...

      --
      You have the right to remain sentient. If you give up the right to remain sentient, you will be elected to public office
    3. Re:without the need for doping by Chas · · Score: 1

      So Doctor Rockso (I DO GRAPHENE!)?

      Damn.

      --


      Chas - The one, the only.
      THANK GOD!!!
    4. Re:without the need for doping by wooferhound · · Score: 1

      I can't wait to buy a pencil that will stick to my fridge without having to glue a magnet to it.

      You gave me an idea for Magnetic Erasers

      --
      We are Dead Stars looking back Up at the Sky
    5. Re:without the need for doping by Dutchmaan · · Score: 1

      The first processor is codenamed "Armstrong"

    6. Re:without the need for doping by Chas · · Score: 1

      As opposed to the first myomer bundle bicep. "The Schwarzenegger Bundle"

      --


      Chas - The one, the only.
      THANK GOD!!!
  2. Confused Summary by rubycodez · · Score: 3, Informative

    Graphene might be used in semiconductor devices whether magnetized or not; being able to magnetize it opens possibilities of making some types of devices but in no way is a prerequisite for practical applications of graphene in computers, semiconductors, etc.

    1. Re:Confused Summary by viperidaenz · · Score: 1

      Graphene loses it's sought after properties when doped. It becomes useless for the intended purpose. Silicon is better than doped graphene.

    2. Re:Confused Summary by rubycodez · · Score: 1

      Wrong, dopants have been found that give useful properties. google is your friend

    3. Re:Confused Summary by rubycodez · · Score: 1

      Graphene IS doped in experiements, and interesting and useful properties have been found. look up "doped graphene" in google and see the cool stuff that comes up.

  3. Graphene still has a little problem by sacremon · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Until we have a way to mass produce the stuff, all this research is fine and well but you won't be seeing it in products anytime soon. Not saying the research is pointless, just that people shouldn't get too excited about the applications just yet. There are some more fundamental issues that need to be resolved first.

    --
    If you can't beat them, embrace and extend them.
    1. Re:Graphene still has a little problem by viperidaenz · · Score: 1

      It think it's important to figure out how to use it before figuring out how to mass manufacture it - since they don't know the end result required by the manufacturing process until they figure out how to use it.

  4. That sounds cheap by PetiePooo · · Score: 2

    I'm sure it's commercially viable, easy and cheap to do. We'll see this in real world applications in about 2 years if all goes well.

    NOT!

    But good luck with it. This is the kind of breakthrough that may one day lead to viable quantum computers, teleportation, and other things that are relegated to the SyFy channel for now.

  5. Still ignoring the big issue with graphene. by blueshift_1 · · Score: 2

    It's fine to make graphene do all these goodies. We still have to find a way to manufacture it more efficiently... other than getting a lot of pencils and scotch tape :D

    1. Re:Still ignoring the big issue with graphene. by Em+Adespoton · · Score: 2

      http://www.rsc.org/chemistrywo...

      Maher El-Kady and others at the University of California at Los Angeles have now found a way to fabricate graphene films, and graphene capacitors, without any sticking together. The researchers take a DVD and apply a layer of plastic, followed by a film of graphite oxide. They then insert the DVD into a standard DVD drive, so that the in-built laser chemically reduces the graphite oxide to graphene. Having removed the disc, the researchers peel off the plastic, which is then coated in graphene, and cut it into whatever shapes they desire.

      Sounds like Riverside and LA need to team up on this. The method of using a red laser to reduce the oxide should be relatively easy to replicate at an industrial scale. Then the problem becomes sourcing large quantities of graphene oxide. However, since the US creates its own synthetic graphite, it should be relatively simple to apply the next stage of converting it to graphene oxide as part of the synthesis process.

    2. Re:Still ignoring the big issue with graphene. by DamnOregonian · · Score: 1

      I'll take Allotropy for $400, Trebek

    3. Re:Still ignoring the big issue with graphene. by Em+Adespoton · · Score: 1

      Hmm... I was just realizing that this DVD method should also allow for the printing of graphene-based circuits; instead of pitting the foil, the laser would be reducing paths in the disc (instead of the entire thing). I wonder how good the resolution would be using a method like this? Would it work with blu-ray and a blue laser, or would that break down the oxide too much? You should get better resolution that way, and if someone made a multi-layer disc with graphite oxide instead of reflective foil, you could burn your own multi-layer circuit board. Not sure how you'd do the connects and pass-throughs though. Maybe just print one layer at a time, and manually finish off the rest after you're done....

  6. Re:I hope yttrium isn't an asshole by blue+trane · · Score: 1

    The debt will be forgiven.

  7. ZZZZZZZ another graphite/graphene article... by buckfeta2014 · · Score: 1

    Hey eggheads, shit or get off the pot already. I'm tired of reading of "what might happen in the future"... just do it for fucks sakes.

    --
    Buck Feta. You know what to do.
    1. Re:ZZZZZZZ another graphite/graphene article... by kwbauer · · Score: 1

      Cause he isn't an egghead.

  8. Quite a contrast by Applehu+Akbar · · Score: 1

    Early laser development: a solution in search of applications
    Early graphene development: A plethora of applications for a substance we still can't manufacture.

  9. wow. homemade graphene with microscopic features by raymorris · · Score: 1

    That's pretty awesome.

  10. press release creep by Goldsmith · · Score: 1
    Nanotechnology is particularly bad about press release creep. That's when the author of a paper publishes

    "The proximity-induced ferromagnetic order in graphene can lead to novel transport phenomena such as the quantized AHE which are potentially useful for spintronics."

    and it becomes

    Graphene: Reversible Method of Magnetic Doping Paves Way For Semiconductor Use