Graphene The Pencil Lead Tech Revolution

History of Graphene Theoretically Graphene has been around since 1960’s – Actual isolation of the material was thought to be impossible First sample of Graphene was isolated in 2004 – Obtained through the “Scotch Tape” method First tape was used to pull apart layers of graphene Then Mechanical exfoliation was used Presently, methods of efficient mass production are being researched Interesting Fact #267: Each time you use your pencil, you’re making Graphene!

The Amazing Strength of Graphene Recently tested, Graphene is the single strongest material known to man – By depressing a sharp diamond probe into graphene until it broke, researchers established that the material is the strongest ever tested “It would take an elephant, balanced on a pencil, to break through a sheet of graphene the thickness of Saran Wrap.” -Dr. James Hone

Graphene’s Electrical Conductivity Faster than a speeding bullet Graphene experiences an electrical resistivity of about 1.0 microOhm- centimeter, 35 percent less than that of copper – which is the lowest-resistivity material at room temperature. In semiconductors, a different measure, mobility, is used to quantify how fast electrons move: Graphene: 200,000 cm2/Vs  Epic Win! Indium Antimonide: 77,000 cm2/Vs Silicon: 1,400 cm2/Vs Interesting fact #834: The electrons in Graphene move so fast that it mimics particles moving at the speed of light!

Applying Graphene Power The strength and high electrical conductivity of Graphene is very good news for those in the semiconductor industry! – "The main liability concerning the microprocessing industry is strain," says Julia Greer, a materials scientist at Caltech. – Not only must the materials used to make transistors have good electrical properties, but they must also be able to survive the stresses of manufacturing processes and the heat generated by repeated operations.

Quantum Phenomena Recently Graphene was used to test Einstein's theory of relativity in a table-top experiment. Until then, it was only possible to test the famous theory by building expensive machinery or by studying stars in distant galaxies. The team's discovery has the potential to speed up future discoveries and save billions of dollars, now that tests can be set up using graphene and relatively inexpensive laboratory equipment.