Communications of the ACM
Stanford Scientists Use Dna to Assemble a Transistor From Graphene
Stanford University researchers believe ribbons of graphene could be used to create semiconductor circuits, using DNA as a template.
Credit: Anatoliy Sokolov
Stanford University researchers are trying to use DNA as a template for creating a new generation of computer chips based on graphene. The researchers believe that ribbons of graphene, laid side by side, could create semiconductor circuits.
Due to the material's tiny dimensions and beneficial electrical properties, graphene nano ribbons could create very fast chips that run on very low power, says Stanford professor Zhenan Bao. "However, as one might imagine, making something that is only one atom thick and 20 to 50 atoms wide is a significant challenge," says Stanford researcher Anatoliy Sokolov.
To overcome this challenge, the researchers developed the idea of using DNA as an assembly mechanism. First, the researchers dipped a silicon platter into a solution of DNA derived from bacteria and used a known technique to comb the DNA strands into relatively straight lines. The platter was exposed to a copper salt solution, which allowed the copper ions to be absorbed into the DNA. The platter was then heated and bathed in methane gas, which contains carbon atoms that joined together to form stable honeycombs of graphene.
"We demonstrated for the first time that you can use DNA to grow narrow ribbons and then make working transistors," Sokolov says.
From Stanford University
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