極限環境向け電子機器を可能にする量子材料を発見(Quantum Materials Discovery Could Advance Electronics for Extreme Environments)

2026-07-16 アリゾナ大学

アリゾナ大学の研究チームは、グラフェンナノリボン(GNR)が強いガンマ線照射後も半導体として機能を維持し、極限環境向け電子デバイスや放射線センサーとして有望であることを実証し、その成果をACS Applied Materials & Interfacesに発表した。研究では、GNRを組み込んだ半導体デバイスをガンマ線に曝露し、照射前後の電気特性を比較した。その結果、放射線によって電気的性能は大きく変化したものの、デバイスは動作を維持し、放射線量に応じた応答を示すことが確認された。これは、GNRが放射線耐性材料として利用できるだけでなく、リアルタイムで放射線劣化を監視するセンサーとしても活用できる可能性を示している。研究チームは、この技術が核融合炉内部や深宇宙探査機、人工衛星など、強い放射線環境で使用される電子機器の信頼性向上に貢献すると期待している。今後は、より高性能な放射線検出器や極限環境対応電子回路への応用を進める計画であり、核融合エネルギーや宇宙開発を支える次世代半導体技術として注目される成果である。

<関連情報>

9原子幅のアームチェア型グラフェンナノリボントランジスタのガンマ線照射に対する電気的および構造的応答 Electrical and Structural Response of Nine-Atom-Wide Armchair Graphene Nanoribbon Transistors to Gamma Irradiation

Kentaro Yumigeta,Muhammed Yusufoglu,John G. Federice,Elena T. Hughes,Ahmet Mert Degirmenci,Jon T. Njardarson,Kelly Simmons-Potter,Barrett G. Potter,and Zafer Mutlu
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces  Published: April 20, 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.6c02516

Abstract

極限環境向け電子機器を可能にする量子材料を発見(Quantum Materials Discovery Could Advance Electronics for Extreme Environments)

Materials and devices used in space and advanced energy systems are continuously exposed to high-energy photons and particles, leading to gradual changes in their structural and electronic properties. Gamma-ray exposure is particularly critical because their strong penetrating power allows them to traverse conventional shielding and device packaging. Real-time monitoring of exposure-induced changes in compact, chip-integrated devices remain limited despite the availability of external radiation detectors. Atomically precise graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) present an attractive platform for probing such effects due to their structural uniformity, tunable electronic properties, and exceptional sensitivity of charge transport to even subtle lattice modifications, a capability not yet demonstrated in other low-dimensional materials. Here, we investigate the structural and electronic response of atomically precise GNRs to gamma irradiation. Nine-atom-wide armchair GNRs (9-AGNRs) were synthesized via a bottom-up on-surface approach, integrated into field-effect transistors (FETs), and characterized before and after exposure using Raman spectroscopy and electrical transport measurements. Raman spectroscopy indicates preservation of the primary GNR lattice structure, accompanied by subtle spectral changes suggestive of irradiation-induced oxidation or local lattice perturbations. While these measurements do not indicate severe structural damage, electrical transport measurements reveal a pronounced degradation in device performance, demonstrating the strong susceptibility of GNR FETs to gamma irradiation. This pronounced response may be attributed to Anderson localization of charge carriers, potentially arising from enhanced quantum interference in atomically narrow, quasi-one-dimensional (1D) GNRs. These results suggest the potential of GNR-based nanoelectronic devices for sensing and monitoring under extreme operational conditions.

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