Better than graphene: the 2D material for atom-thin semiconductors

Semiconductors that are as thin as an atom are no longer the stuff of science fiction, with physicist Professor Axel Enders creating a two-dimensional material that could revolutionise electronics.

Containing carbon, boron and nitrogen, the new material’s chemical name is ‘Hexagonal Boron-Carbon-Nitrogen (h-BCN)’. And thanks to its semiconductor properties, the material could be much better suited for high-tech applications than graphene.

Graphene is a 2D lattice made up entirely of carbon atoms; it is thus just as thin as a single atom. It is 100 to 300 times stronger than steel and an excellent conductor of heat and electricity. However, electrons are able to flow through unhindered at any applied voltage, meaning there is no defined on or off position.

“For this reason, graphene is not well suited for most electronic devices,” said Professor Enders, from the University of Bayreuth. “Semiconductors are required, since only they can ensure switchable on and off states.”

Professor Enders had the idea of replacing individual carbon atoms in graphene with boron and nitrogen, resulting in a 2D grid with the properties of a semiconductor. Collaborating with partners in the US and Poland, he has now been able to turn this idea into reality.

“Our findings could be the starting point for a new generation of electronic transistors, circuits and sensors that are much smaller and more bendable than the electronic elements used to date,” said Professor Enders, who published his research in the journal ACS Nano. “They are likely to enable a considerable decrease in power consumption.”

Image caption: 3D structure model of the new material h-BCN. Image credit: Axel Enders.