Investigating The Performance and Viability of Semiconducting Graphene as A Substitute for Silicon in Field Effect Transistors

Abstract

This paper investigates the electrical and thermal properties of two competing methods of semiconducting graphene, doped graphene and reduced graphene oxide, and their respective viabilities for implementation in field effect transistors. We used the Graphene Field Effect Transistor (GFET) simulation software on nanohub.com to determine the current, voltage, and max temperature based on variations in the channel length, top gate oxide thickness, electron mobility, and thermal conductivity and then compared these performance results with those of a traditional silicon-based transistor. Our results demonstrated that doped graphene had superior current conductivity, higher electron mobility, higher thermal conductivity, and higher maximum temperature to those of reduced graphene oxide and silicon. Practicality wise, reduced graphene oxide is far easier to mass produce, as was found to still perform better than silicon-based transistors. Transistors form the backbone of the electronics industry; this study proves that a shift toward graphene-based transistors, doped ones especially, would make transistors stronger, more durable, and more efficient. With the already ubiquitous usage of transistors in our everyday lives, a switch to graphene could bring revolutionary benefits for electronics such as smarter cell phones, faster computers, and more accurate biosensors.