Composed of a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb pattern, graphene exhibits desirable properties such as high mechanical toughness, high electrical conductivity, and high transparency. Theorists predict that a 2D layer of silicon and carbon atoms arranged in the same pattern, 2D silicon carbide (SiC), should also have high mechanical toughness. In addition, 2D SiC should easily absorb and emit photons, a wanted property for optoelectronics applications. However, experimentalists have struggled to make this material. Now Craig Polley of Lund University in Sweden and colleagues show that they can grow large-area 2D films of SiC using a sputtering-based technique [1].
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