A sheet of carbon atoms, called graphene, could soon replace silicon in transistors. The enhanced conductivity and extremely small size of the “nano-ribbons” will represent definite advantages for this new technology.

Transistors more than four times smaller than the tiniest silicon ones – and potentially more efficient – can be made using sheets of carbon just one-tenth of a nanometre thick, research shows. Unlike other experimental nanoscopic transistors, the new components require neither complex manufacturing nor cryogenic cooling.

Source: New Scientist