Researchers have developed a method for creating single-crystal
arrays of a material called graphene, an advance that opens up
the possibility of a replacement for silicon in high-performance
computers and electronics. Graphene is a one-atom-thick layer of
carbon that conducts electricity with little resistance or heat
generation. The arrays could make possible a new class of high-
speed transistors and integrated circuits that consume less
energy than conventional silicon electronics. The new findings
represent an advance toward perfecting a method for
manufacturing large quantities of single crystals of the
material, similar to the production of silicon wafers. "Graphene
isn't there yet, in terms of high quality mass production like
silicon, but this is a very important step in that direction,"
said Yong P. Chen, corresponding author for the new study and
Miller Family Assistant Professor of Nanoscience and Physics at
Purdue University. Other researchers have grown single crystals
of graphene, but no others