Credit: @Science China Press
The rapid development of silicon-based transistors leads to its integration getting closer to the limit of Moore's law. Graphene is expected to become the next generation of mainstream chip materials due to its ultra-high carrier mobility. However, it is difficult to obtain a high on/off current ratio for intrinsic graphene-based transistor owing to the absence of bandgap. Graphene nanoribbons, which possess a tunable bandgap and unique optoelectrical properties, have attracted extensive attention and exploration.
Nowadays, the preparation of graphene nanoribbons is underdeveloped, and common strategies include the clip of carbon materials (graphene films, carbon nanotubes, or graphite) and direct-growth on a specific substrate surface. All these methods are inspiring but also exhibit narrow scope--they require concession steps to prepare precursors or pre-functionalize substrate as templates. The hundreds of nanometers in length, alignment problem and cumbersome preparation process have retarded the integration of graphene nanoribbons into optoelectronic devices. Therefore, a robust nanotechnology to fabricate GNR with mass production, high quality, and uniform orientation are highly desired for commercialization.