Graphene: Its Fundamentals to Future Applications

Currently, graphene is a topic of very active research fields from science to potential applications. For various RF circuit applications, including low-noise amplifiers, the unique ambipolar nature of graphene field-effect-transistors can be utilized for high-performance frequency multipliers, mixers, and high-speed radiometers. Potential integration of graphene on silicon substrates with CMOS compatibility would also benefit future RF systems. The future success of the RF circuit applications depends on vertical and lateral scaling of graphene MOSFETs to minimize parasitics and improve gate modulation efficiency in the channel with zero or a small bandgap. In this paper, we highlight recent progress in graphene materials, devices, and circuits for RF applications. For passive RF applications, we show its transparent electromagnetic shielding in Ku-band and transparent antennas, where its success depends on the quality of materials. We also attempt to discuss future applications and challenges of graphene.

I. Introduction

Graphene is an atomically thin, but stable form of hexagonal carbon [1], [2] and has attracted a lot of attention in the research community since the seminal papers published in 2004 [3], [4]. Along with its unique electronic properties, graphene has shown interesting optical [5], mechanical [6], and thermal [7] properties, as summarized in Table I. Some of these unique properties have been considered for potential applications such as transparent conductors for touch screens [8], [9] electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding [10], antennas [11], flexible electronics [12], sensors [13], nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) [14], and interconnects [15].