For more than two decades, scientists and engineers have focused on impending limitations (from high-power densities and heat distribution to device patterning) that constrain the future miniaturization of conventional silicon technology. Thus far, academic and industrial efforts have risen to the challenge and continue to advance planar silicon processing, pushing traditional microtechnology to the nanometer scale. However, insurmountable limitations, both of physical nature and cost, still loom and motivate the research of new nanomaterials and technologies that have the potential to replace and/or enhance conventional silicon systems. As time has progressed, another Group IV element has emerged as a front-runner, looking beyond silicon, in the form of carbon-based nanotechnology. The focus of this issue is to provide a comprehensive look at the state-of-the-art in carbon-based nanomaterials and nanotechnologies and their potential impact on conventional silicon technologies, which are not limited to electronics but also encompass micro- and nanoelectromechanical systems, optoelectronics, and memory. Recent advances in carbon nanotube growth, sorting, and optoelectronics will be discussed, and the relatively new and surging area of graphene research will be introduced. In addition, progress in controlling the growth and properties of ultrananocrystalline and nanocrystalline diamond thin films will be reviewed. These efforts are multidisciplinary, heavily materials focused, and tend to translate information and ideas to other carbon-based studies (e.g., graphene is the building block of carbon nanotubes).

There has been a tireless quest by the designers of micro- and nanoelectro mechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS) to find a suitable material alternative to conventional silicon. This is needed to develop robust, reliable, and long-endurance MEMS/NEMS with capabilities for working under demanding conditions, including harsh environments, high stresses, or with contacting and sliding surfaces. Diamond is one of the most promising candidates for this because of its superior physical, chemical, and tribomechanical properties. Ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) and nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) thin films, the two most studied forms of diamond films in the last decade, have distinct growth processes and nanostructures but complementary properties. This article reviews the fundamental and applied science performed to understand key aspects of UNCD and NCD films, including the nucleation and growth, tribomechanical properties, electronic properties, and applied studies on integration with piezoelectric materials and CMOS technology. Several emerging diamond-based MEMS/NEMS applications, including high-frequency resonators, radio frequency MEMS and photonic switches, and the first commercial diamond MEMS product—monolithic diamond atomic force microscopy probes—are discussed.

Graphene, a single atom–thick plane of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb lattice, has captivated the attention of physicists, materials scientists, and engineers alike over the five years following its experimental isolation. Graphene is a fundamentally new type of electronic material whose electrons are strictly confined to a two-dimensional plane and exhibit properties akin to those of ultrarelativistic particles. Graphene's two-dimensional form suggests compatibility with conventional wafer processing technology. Extraordinary physical properties, including exceedingly high charge carrier mobility, current-carrying capacity, mechanical strength, and thermal conductivity, make it an enticing candidate for new electronic technologies both within and beyond complementary metal oxide semiconductors (CMOS). Immediate graphene applications include high-speed analog electronics and highly conductive, flexible, transparent thin films for displays and optoelectronics. Currently, much graphene research is focused on generating and tuning a bandgap and on novel device structures that exploit graphene's extraordinary electrical, optical, and mechanical properties.

This article reviews the materials science of graphene grown epitaxially on the hexagonal basal planes of SiC crystals and progress toward the deterministic manufacture of graphene devices. We show that the growth of epitaxial graphene on Si-terminated SiC(0001) differs from growth on the C-terminated SiC(0001) surface, resulting in, respectively, strong and weak coupling to the substrate and to successive graphene layers. Monolayer epitaxial graphene on either surface displays the expected electronic structure and transport characteristics of graphene, but the non-graphitic stacking of multilayer graphene on SiC(0001) determines an electronic structure much different from that of graphitic multilayers on SiC(0001). This materials system is rich in subtleties, and graphene grown on the two polar faces of SiC differs in important ways, but all of the salient features of ideal graphene are found in these epitaxial graphenes, and wafer-scale fabrication of multi-GHz devices already has been achieved.

In electronics and photonics, intrinsic properties of semiconducting materials play a dominant role in achieving high-performance devices and circuits. In this respect, carbon nanotubes are prime candidates because of their exceptionally high carrier mobility, low capacitance, and strong optical response (direct bandgap). Although these properties compare very favorably with those of crystalline silicon, several issues related to their synthesis, processing, and assembly have challenged efforts for making electronic and photonic devices. Tremendous progress, nevertheless, has been achieved over the years, and much has been learned from novel photonic devices and electronic circuits. We review some of the developments in nanotube transistor performance optimization, ac operation, nanotube circuits, self-assembly, thin-film devices, and nanotube optical devices such as light emitters and detectors. We also examine the issues and opportunities that still exist.

Due to their high carrier mobilities, electromigration resistance, and tailorable optical properties, carbon nanotubes are promising candidates for high-performance electronic and optoelectronic applications. However, traditional synthetic methods have lacked control over the structure and properties of carbon nanotubes. This polydispersity problem has confounded efforts to take carbon nanotubes from the research laboratory to the marketplace, especially for electronic and optoelectronic applications, where reliable and reproducible performance is paramount. In recent years, the research community has devoted significant effort to this issue, leading to substantial advances in the preparation of monodisperse carbon nanotube materials. This article highlights the most recent and promising developments from two perspectives: post-synthetic sorting and selective growth of carbon nanotubes of predetermined physical and electronic structure. These complementary approaches have yielded improved uniformity in carbon nanotube materials, resulting in impressive advances in carbon nanotube electronic and optoelectronic technology.

Nature produces a wide variety of exquisite mineralized tissues, fulfilling diverse functions. Organisms exercise a level of molecular control over the detailed nano- and microstructure of the biomaterials that is unparalleled in today's technology. Our understanding of the underlying design principles of biomaterials provides ample opportunities for developing new approaches to materials fabrication at the nanometer and micrometer scale. It is clear that valuable materials lessons can be taught by any organism. I will exemplify this point by describing new nano- and microfabrication strategies and devices that have been inspired by the studies of biomineralization in echinoderms. The topics will include self-assembly, control of crystallization, synthesis of adaptive optical structures, hybrid materials, and novel actuation systems at the nanoscale level.