The speed of silicon-based transistors has reached an impasse in the recent
decade, primarily due to scaling techniques and the short-channel effect.
Conversely, graphene (a revolutionary new material possessing an atomic
thickness) has been shown to exhibit a promising value for electrical
conductivity. Graphene would thus appear to alleviate some of the drawbacks
associated with silicon-based transistors. It is for this reason why such a
material is considered one of the most prominent candidates to replace silicon
within nano-scale transistors. The major crux here, is that graphene is
intrinsically gapless, and yet, transistors require a band-gap pertaining to a
well-defined ON/OFF logical state. Therefore, exactly as to how one would
create this band-gap in graphene allotropes is an intensive area of growing
research. Existing methods include nano-ribbons, bilayer and multi-layer
structures, carbon nanotubes, as well as the usage of the graphene substrates.
Graphene transistors can generally be classified according to two working
principles. The first is that a single graphene layer, nanoribbon or carbon
nanotube can act as a transistor channel, with current being transported along
the horizontal axis. The second mechanism is regarded as tunneling, whether
this be band-to-band on a single graphene layer, or vertically between adjacent
graphene layers. The high-frequency graphene amplifier is another talking point
in recent research, since it does not require a clear ON/OFF state, as with
logical electronics. This paper reviews both the physical properties and
manufacturing methodologies of graphene, as well as graphene-based electronic
devices, transistors, and high-frequency amplifiers from past to present
studies. Finally, we provide possible perspectives with regards to future
developments.Comment: This is an updated version of our review article, due to be published
in Contemporary Physics (Sept 2013). Included are updated references, along
with a few minor corrections. (45 pages, 19 figures
