A New Way to Make Graphene

Ever since Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov used sticky tape to peel graphene off of graphite and measured its superior electron mobility, researchers have explored higher-tech ways to make sheets of the wonder material. But they have yet to come up with a simple method that produces pristine sheets and lends itself to mass production. Wataru Norimatsu from Nagoya University, Japan, and co-workers now show that one of the most promising methods for mass production of graphene—epitaxial growth on silicon carbide—can yield higher-quality graphene sheets if a rapid-cooling step is added to the technique.