Sep 13 2010
Scientists from around the world will gather next week to discuss the latest research findings at the Second International Symposium on the Science and Technology of Epitaxial Graphene.
The conference is sponsored by the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center at the Georgia Institute of Technology. It will take place September 14-17, 2010, at the Hampton Inn & Suites Amelia Island Historic Harbor Front Hotel in Amelia Island, Florida.
"The symposium brings together engineers and scientists from around the world to discuss recent progress and future trends in the rapidly developing science and technology of epitaxial graphene," said Walt de Heer, Regents Professor in Georgia Tech's School of Physics and a pioneer in graphene-based electronics. "The symposium will cover a broad range of epitaxial graphene on silicon carbide topics, including surface science and growth, transport, optical properties, chemistry, devices, and theory. The discussions during this symposium will help to establish the future directions of epitaxial graphene science and technology."
The symposium was first held in 2009 and is scheduled to be a yearly gathering. This year 130 attendees are expected. In addition to scientists from Georgia Tech, researchers from institutions like the Carnegie-Mellon University, the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, and Penn State, to name a few, will be in attendance.
So far, the substance has shown great promise in being a material that can conduct electricity with little resistance without many of the problems that carbon nanotubes have exhibited, like difficulties with placing them and building them into wires. In addition, research suggests that epitaxial graphene may offer much greater speed and performance over silicon.
Scientists at the symposium will discuss the recent results of their research and will likely plan out future scientific endeavors in this field.