Research Article
Open access
Published on 15 January 2025
Download pdf
Export citation

Advantages and Challenges of Graphene Transistors for High-Frequency Applications

Qian Sun *,1,
  • 1 Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU)

* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

https://doi.org/10.54254/2755-2721/2025.20482

Abstract

Graphene is regarded as an ideal material for next-generation high-frequency (HF) electronic devices, attributed to its unique two-dimensional structure, high carrier mobility, and exceptional electrical properties. In recent years, the limitations of conventional silicon-based technologies for high-frequency applications have become increasingly apparent, resulting in heightened interest in graphene transistors, which exhibit significant potential for applications in wireless communications, radar systems, and terahertz technology. These transistors exhibit high cutoff frequency and low noise characteristics, along with favorable bipolar properties, which provide them with significant advantages in radio frequency (RF) applications. However, despite the significant theoretical advantages of graphene materials, their practical application is still restricted by multiple factors. Specifically, insufficient voltage gain from weak current saturation, material uniformity issues, and large-scale production challenges have restricted the widespread adoption of graphene transistors in high-frequency electronic devices. This paper reviews the relevant literature, examines the disparity between the electrical performance and practical applications of graphene transistors, and identifies the key factors influencing their implementation. The results demonstrate that targeted bandgap engineering, innovative device architectures, and the exploration of new materials can help graphene transistors can mitigate existing challenges and position themselves as key components in future HF electronic devices, driving significant advancements and broader integration of related technologies.

Keywords

Graphene, High Carrier Mobility, Zero Bandgap, High-Frequency Applications

[1]. Neto, A.H., et al. (2009) The Electronic Properties of Graphene. Reviews of Modern Physics, 81(1): 109-162.

[2]. Zhen, Z. and Zhu, H.W. (2018)Structure and Properties of Graphene. Graphene, 1-12.

[3]. Novoselov, K.S., et al. (2004) Electric Field Effect in Atomically Thin Carbon Films. Science, 306(5696): 666-669.

[4]. Ng, H.K., et al. (2022). Improving carrier mobility in two-dimensional semiconductors with rippled materials. Nature Electronics, 5(8): 489-496.

[5]. Wang, X.L., Dou, S.X. and Zhang, C. (2010) Zero-gap materials for future spintronics, electronics and optics. NPG Asia Materials, 2(1): 31-38.

[6]. Lin, Y.M., et al. (2009) Operation of graphene transistors at gigahertz frequencies. Nano Letters, 9(1): 422-426.

[7]. Lin, Y.M., et al. (2010) 100-GHz transistors from wafer-scale epitaxial graphene. Science, 327(5966): 662-662.

[8]. Wu, Y., et al. (2012) State-of-the-Art graphene high-frequency electronics. Nano Letters, 12(6), 3062-3067.

[9]. Cheng, R., et al. (2012) High-frequency self-aligned graphene transistors with transferred gate stacks. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109(29): 11588-11592.

[10]. Yu, C., et al. (2017) High-frequency noise characterization of graphene field effect transistors on SiC substrates. Applied Physics Letters, 111(3).

[11]. Norhakim, N., Hawari, H.F. and Burhanudin, Z.A. (2022) Assessing the figures of merit of graphene-based radio frequency electronics: A review of GFET in RF technology. IEEE Access, 10: 17030-17042.

[12]. Yang, X., et al. (2011) Graphene ambipolar multiplier phase detector. IEEE Electron Device Letters, 32(10): 1328-1330.

[13]. Wang, H., et al. (2009). Graphene frequency multipliers. IEEE Electron Device Letters, 30(5), 547-549.

[14]. Wang, H., et al. (2010) Graphene-Based ambipolar RF mixers. IEEE Electron Device Letters, 31(9): 906-908.

[15]. Tian, M., et al. (2019) Improvement of conversion loss of resistive mixers using bernal-stacked bilayer graphene. IEEE Electron Device Letters, 40(2): 325-328.

[16]. Li, S., et al. (2022) Tafel-Kinetics-Controlled high-speed switching in a electrochemical graphene field-effect transistor. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces, 14(42): 47991-47998.

[17]. Szafranek, B.N., et al. (2012) Current saturation and voltage gain in bilayer graphene field effect transistors. Nano Letters, 12(3): 1324-1328.

[18]. Strobel, C., et al. (2022) Novel graphene adjustable-barrier transistor with ultra-high current gain. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 14(34): 39249-39254.

[19]. Strobel, C., et al. (2023) High gain graphene based hot electron transistor with record high saturated output current density. Advanced Electronic Materials, 10(2).

[20]. Ren, S., Rong, P. and Yu, Q. (2018) Preparations, properties and applications of graphene in functional devices: A concise review. Ceramics International, 44(11): 11940-11955.

[21]. Xu, J., et al. (2017) Fast batch production of high-quality graphene films in a sealed thermal molecular movement system. Small, 13(27): 1700651.

[22]. He, S.M., Lin, Z.L., et al. (2021) Toward large-scale CVD graphene growth by enhancing reaction kinetics via an efficient interdiffusion mediator and mechanism study utilizing CFD simulations. Journal of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers, 128: 400-408.

Cite this article

Sun,Q. (2025). Advantages and Challenges of Graphene Transistors for High-Frequency Applications. Applied and Computational Engineering,130,193-198.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

Disclaimer/Publisher's Note

The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of EWA Publishing and/or the editor(s). EWA Publishing and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.

About volume

Volume title: Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Materials Chemistry and Environmental Engineering

Conference website: https://2025.confmcee.org/
ISBN:978-1-83558-925-0(Print) / 978-1-83558-926-7(Online)
Conference date: 17 January 2025
Editor:Harun CELIK
Series: Applied and Computational Engineering
Volume number: Vol.130
ISSN:2755-2721(Print) / 2755-273X(Online)

© 2024 by the author(s). Licensee EWA Publishing, Oxford, UK. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. Authors who publish this series agree to the following terms:
1. Authors retain copyright and grant the series right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this series.
2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the series's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this series.
3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See Open access policy for details).