Samsung has announced it has had a graphene breakthrough that could accelerate the production of truly flexible smartphones.
Graphene was originally tipped to be the reinvigorating tonic for the electronics industry thanks to it being better than silicon and despite being flexible, actually being stronger than steel.
The carbon allotrope has high heat conductions and had the potential to be the perfect material for thinner components and wearables.
However, all talk of graphene seemed to disappear until Samsung’s latest announcement. The South Korean electronics giant believes it’s solved manufacturing issues relating to creating large, thin sheets of the stuff.
“This is one of the most significant breakthroughs in graphene research in history,” said SAIT Lab leaders. “We expect this discovery to accelerate the commercialisation of graphene, which could unlock the next era of consumer electronic technology.”
Through a partnership with the Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul, Samsung’s Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) has developed a method of creating large sheet of graphene whilst still maintaining its electric and mechanical properties.
Past tested manufacturing methods have reduced the benefits of graphene, which is the main reason its commercialisation has taken quite so long.
“Graphene has one hundred times greater electron mobility than silicon, the most widely used material in semiconductors today. It is more durable than steel and has high heat conductibility as well as flexibility, which makes it the perfect material for use in flexible displays, wearables and other next generation electronic devices.”
Thanks to SAIT’s manufacturing method breakthroughs, the company believes it has taken the first step to displace the electronic industry’s reliance on silicon.
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