A transistor one atom thick and 10 atoms wide has been created by researchers using graphene – a two dimensional material which could one day replace silicon.

Graphene, which is a single layer of graphite, has been hailed as a super material because the flat molecule is stable, robust and as thick as an atom. Its transparency means it has the potential to be used in display technology.

Dr Kostya Novoselov and Professor Andre Geim, The School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Manchester, have been leading research into the potential applications of graphene in electronics, and have shown that the material can be carved into tiny electronic circuits with individual transistors not much larger than a molecule.

Speaking to the BBC News, Dr Novoselov, explained that graphene had many advantages over silicon because it could conduct electricity faster and further. He said: “These transistors will work and work at ambient room temperature conditions – just what is required for modern electronics.

He continued: “It is already superior to silicon by an order of magnitude and comparable to the best samples of other materials.

“We believe we can increase this mobility of electron flow 10-fold.”

Read more at BBC