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In this work, in-plane thermal conductivity measurement was carried out on graphene-based papers. Graphene-based papers were fabricated using various processing techniques such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD), hot pressing of graphene slurry, and evaporation induced self-assembly. The prepared materials were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. In-plane thermal conductivity measurement was performed via a steady state thin film thermal conductivity apparatus. The in-plane thermal conductivity measurements show that the CVD based sample has the highest thermal conductivity. COMSOL Multiphysics was used to simulate the in-plane thermal conductivity of graphene-based papers.

A novel method was developed for studying the ink-paper interface and the structural variations of a deposited layer of ink. Combining high-resolution x-ray tomography with laser ablation, the depth profile of ink (toner), i.e., its varying thickness, could be determined in a paper substrate. X-ray tomography was used to produce the 3D structure of paper with about 1 μm spatial resolution. Laser ablation combined with optical imaging was used to produce the 3D structure of the printed layer of ink on top of that paper with about 70 nm depth resolution. Ablation depth was calibrated with an optical profilometer. It can be concluded that a toner layer on a light-weight-coated paper substrate was strongly perturbed by protruding fibers of the base paper. Such fibers together with the surface topography of the base paper seem to be the major factors that control the leveling of toner and its penetration into a thinly coated paper substrate.

Holes and defects can greatly reduce the mechanical properties of multilayer graphene sheets under different loading conditions due to the stress concentration near the hole edge in each in-plane sheet and the lack of interlayer carbon–carbon bonds between the layers. Here, we report a novel design of multilayer open-hole graphene papers (MLGPs) formed through interlayer covalent bonding at the hole edges of multilayer open-hole graphene sheets (MLGSs) under high temperature using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Our MD results show that the hybrid sp2–sp3 interlayer bonds of MLGPs can significantly improve their both tensile strength and interlayer shear strength. The tensile strength and interlayer shear strength of MLGPs increase by around 20% and 3 times by comparison with those of MLGSs with the same number of layers, respectively, which mainly depends on the uniformity of their interlayer bond distribution. This study can provide an effective way to improve the mechanical performances of multilayer graphene sheets with flaws and also offer corresponding guidance for the design of MLGS-based nanocomposites.

In this work, we describe the synthesis of novel electrically and magnetically dual-driven Janus particles for a handwriting-enabled twisting ball display via the microfluidic technique. One hemisphere of the Janus particles contains a charge control agent, which allows the display color to be controlled by applying a voltage and superparamagnetic nanoparticles, allows handwriting by applying a magnetic field to the display. We fabricated a twisting ball display utilizing these Janus particles and tested the electric color control and handwriting using a magnet. As a result, the display was capable of permitting handwriting with a small magnet in addition to conventional color control using an applied voltage (80 V). Handwriting performance was improved by increasing the concentration of superparamagnetic nanoparticles and was determined to be possible even when 80 V was applied across the electrodes for 4 wt. % superparamagnetic nanoparticles in one hemisphere. This improvement was impossible when the concentration was reduced to 2 wt. % superparamagnetic nanoparticles. The technology presented in our work can be applied to low-cost, lightweight, highly visible, and energy-saving electronic message boards and large whiteboards because the large-size display can be fabricated easily due to its simple structure.

Graphene paper (GP) has been prepared by flow-directed assembly of graphene nanosheets. The mechanical properties of as-prepared GPs were investigated by tensile, indentation, and bending tests. Heat treated GPs demonstrate superior hardness, ten times that of synthetic graphite, and two times that of carbon steel; besides, their yielding strength is significantly higher than that of carbon steel. GPs show extremely high modulus of elasticity during bending test; in the range of a few terapascal. The high strength and stiffness of GP is ascribed to the interlocking-tile microstructure of individual graphene nanosheets in the paper. These outstanding mechanical properties of GPs could lead to a wide range of engineering applications. © 2011 American Institute of Physics.

We fabricated multiwalled carbon-nanotube/cellulose composite papers and measured their temperature dependences of electrical conductivity. The dependences were described with the Sheng’s fluctuation-induced tunneling (FIT) model. A possible mechanism of the electrical conduction in the composite paper was discussed in the context of the FIT model.

In this paper, a paper-based ultracapacitors were fabricated by the rod-rolling method with the ink of carbon nanomaterials, which were synthesized by arc discharge under various magnetic conditions. Composites of carbon nanostructures, including high-purity single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and graphene flakes were synthesized simultaneously in a magnetically enhanced arc. These two nanostructures have promising electrical properties and synergistic effects in the application of ultracapacitors. Scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, and Raman spectroscopy were employed to characterize the properties of carbon nanostructures and their thin films. The sheet resistance of the SWCNT and composite thin films was also evaluated by four-point probe from room temperature to the cryogenic temperature as low as 90 K. In addition, measurements of cyclic voltammetery and galvanostatic charging/discharging showed the ultracapacitor based on composites possessed a superior specific capacitance of up to 100 F/g, which is around three times higher than the ultracapacitor entirely fabricated with SWCNT.

The temperature-dependence of the electrical and dielectric properties of paper substrates was studied using experimental papers with different NaCl contents, different thicknesses, and different grammages. Physical processes related to the charging potential, charge decay rate, conductivity, dielectric constant, and dielectric loss of papers are dependent on thermal energy, and this dependence on temperature can be described by exponential expressions. The ion content of paper not only determines the level of these properties at a given temperature, as expected but also influences their temperature-dependence. Frequency analysis of the dielectric loss confirms that new structures are formed in paper by the addition of NaCl. The results may be applicable to the design of materials and equipment, e.g., for the electrophotographic printing processes.

The effects of ionizing radiation on the temperature-dependent conductivity of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) papers have been investigated in situ in a high vacuum environment. Irradiation of the SWCNT papers with 4.2MeV alpha particles results in a steady decrease in the SWCNT paper conductivity, resulting in a 25% reduction in room temperature conductivity after a fluence of 3×1012 alpha particles/cm2. The radiation-induced temperature-dependent conductivity modification indicates that radiation damage causes an increase in the effective activation barrier for tunneling-like conductivity and a concomitant increase in wavefunction localization of charge carriers within individual SWCNTs. The spatial defect generation within the SWCNT paper was modeled and confirms that a uniform displacement damage dose was imparted to the paper. This allows the damage coefficient (i.e., differential change in conductivity with fluence) for alpha particles, carbon ions, and protons to be compared with the corresp...

A new equivalent circuit model for electrographic recording on dielectric paper with a backing electrode is presented. It is shown that the conductivity of a thin layer between the dielectric layer and basepaper is more important than bulk conductivity in the basepaper.

Graphene nanosheets have recently received a revival of interest as a new class of ultrathin, high-flux, and energy-efficient sieving membranes because of their unique two-dimensional and atomically thin structure, good flexibility, and outstanding mechanical properties. However, for practical applications of graphene for advanced water purification and desalination technologies, the creation of well controlled, high-density, and subnanometer diameter pores becomes a key factor. Here, we conduct reactive force-field molecular dynamics simulations to study the effect of external strain on nanopore creation in the suspended graphene by bombardment with Si clusters. Depending on the size and energy of the clusters, different kinds of topography were observed in the graphene sheet. In all the considered conditions, tensile strain results in the creation of nanopores with regular shape and smooth edges. On the contrary, compressive strain increases the elastic response of graphene to irradiation that leads to the formation of net-like defective structures with predominantly carbon atom chains. Our findings show the possibility of creating controlled nanopores in strained graphene by bombardment with Si clusters. Published by AIP Publishing.

Graphene has been successfully grown on commercial copper foil at low temperature of 500 °C by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). X-ray diffraction patterns showed that films have been grown in the presence of Cu(111) and Cu(200) facets. Raman spectroscopy was utilized to study the effects of temperature, surface structure, and cooling rate on the graphene growth. Raman spectra indicate that the synthesis of graphene layers rely on the surface quality of the Cu substrate together with the proper cooling profile coupled with graphene growth temperature. PLD-grown graphene film on Cu has been verified by transmission electron microscopy. Surface mediated growth of graphene on Cu foil substrate revealed to have a favorable catalytic effect. High growth rate of graphene and less defects can be derived using fast cooling rate.

We synthesized SiSn/(reduced graphene oxide (rGO)) nanocomposite powder for a Li-ion battery material and characterized the structure by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and analytical scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Graphene oxide was prepared by Hummers method. The graphene oxide powder processed by heat treatment was added together with Si powder into a solution of SnCl2 ⋅ 2(H2O) dissolved in N2 bubbled ethylene glycol, and the solution was reacted with NaBH4. The product had a nominal atomic ratio of Si: Sn: C = 14: 3.5: 100. High-resolution TEM/STEM analysis revealed that the powder consisted of crystalline particles of Sn, Si, and SiO as well as thin reduced graphene oxide (rGO) lamellae of amorphous-like graphite with distorted lattices that were often found in areas as local as a few nm2. The aggregated Si and SiO particles grew up to several hundred nm across. Sn particles grew as large as a few tens of nm while those as small as a few nm were scattered on the (0001) rGO s...

Graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide thin films are very promising materials because they can be used in optoelectronic devices and in a growing range of applications such as touch screens and flexible displays. In this work, graphene oxide (GO) and thermally reduced graphene oxide (rGO) thin films, deposited on Ti/glass substrates, have been obtained by electrophoretic deposition. The morphological and the structural properties of the samples have been investigated by micro-Raman technique, X-ray reflectometry, and SEM analysis. In order to study the optical and electrical properties, variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry and impedance analysis have been performed. The thermal annealing changes strongly the structural, electrical, and optical properties, because during the thermal processes some amount of sp3 bonds originally present in GO were removed. In particular, the annealing enhances the Ohmic behavior of the rGO film increasing its conductivity and the estimated optical density. Moreover...

We report a development of graphene tunnel junctions made by chemical vapor deposition grown graphene and sputtered aluminum insulating by an in-situ grown aluminum oxide. The thin oxide layer formed in between the metal layer and the two-dimensional material is a crucial part of a tunnel junction. We characterized surface morphology of oxide layers and studied tunneling spectra of lead and silver tunnel junctions to estimate the quality of the aluminum oxide. The Brinkman-Rowell-Dynes model was applied to fit the conductance-voltage plots to calculate the thickness of oxide layers. Junctions with graphene both on bottom and on top were fabricated and their tunneling properties were characterized after exposure to air for weeks to test time stability. Furthermore, the resistances of graphene tunnel junctions with aluminum oxide formed naturally and in an oxygen atmosphere were studied. Our results demonstrate that in-situ aluminum oxide is an effective barrier for graphene tunnel junctions. The methods of...

Highly conductive and water-dispersible sheets of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) were produced by rapidly heating graphene oxide (GO) paper at a low temperature (300 °C) for a short processing time of 3 s. The GO paper was thermally treated during the rapid-heating reduction process and, consequently, the oxygen functional groups in the obtained RGO were highly reduced. The RGO film displays good thermal stability, crystallinity, low sheet resistance, and good dispersibility in water, which makes it an ideal candidate to be used in various carbon-based electronic devices. We finally demonstrate the suitability of RGO as an active channel material and as a source-drain electrode for graphene field-effect transistors, which bring the possibility of realizing all-carbon devices a step closer to reality.

Uniform and large-area graphene films grown directly on sapphire substrates by using a low-pressure chemical vapor deposition system are demonstrated in this paper. The evolution process and the similar Raman spectra of the samples with different growth durations have confirmed that the continuous graphene film is formed by graphene flakes with similar sizes. The layer-by-layer growth mechanism of this approach is attributed to the preferential graphene deposition on sapphire surfaces. The etching effect of H2 gas is demonstrated to be advantageous for the larger graphene grain formation. The smooth surface of substrates is also proved to be a key parameter for continuous graphene film formation with better crystalline quality.

Intelligent engineering of graphene-based electronic devices on SiC(0001) requires a better understanding of processes used to deposit gate-dielectric materials on graphene. Recently, Al2O3 dielectrics have been shown to form conformal, pinhole-free thin films by functionalizing the top surface of the graphene with fluorine prior to atomic layer deposition (ALD) of the Al2O3 using a trimethylaluminum (TMA) precursor. In this work, the functionalization and ALD-precursor adsorption processes have been studied with angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy, low energy electron diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It has been found that the functionalization process has a negligible effect on the electronic structure of the graphene, and that it results in a twofold increase in the adsorption of the ALD-precursor. In situ TMA-dosing and XPS studies were also performed on three different Si(100) substrates that were terminated with H, OH, or dangling Si-bonds. This dosing experiment revealed that OH is required for TMA adsorption. Based on those data along with supportive in situ measurements that showed F-functionalization increases the amount of oxygen (in the form of adsorbed H2O) on the surface of the graphene, a model for TMA-adsorption on graphene is proposed that is based on a reaction of a TMA molecule with OH.

Efficient control of intercalation of epitaxial graphene by specific elements is a way to change properties of the graphene. Results of several experimental techniques, such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, micro-Raman mapping, reflectivity, attenuated total reflection, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray reflectometry, gave a new insight into the intercalation of oxygen in the epitaxial graphene grown on 4H-SiC(0001). These results confirmed that oxygen intercalation decouples the graphene buffer layer from the 4H-SiC surface and converts it into the graphene layer. However, in contrast to the hydrogen intercalation, oxygen does not intercalate between carbon planes (in the case of few layer graphene) and the interlayer spacing stays constant at the level of 3.35–3.32 A. Moreover, X-ray reflectometry showed the presence of an oxide layer having the thickness of about 0.8 A underneath the graphene layers. Apart from the formation of the nonuniform thin oxide layer, generation of defects in graphene caused by...

Understanding and controlling growth of graphene on the carbon face (C-face) of SiC presents a significant challenge. In this work, we study the structural, vibrational, and dielectric function properties of graphene grown on the C-face of 4H-SiC by high-temperature sublimation in an argon atmosphere. The effect of growth temperature on the graphene number of layers and crystallite size is investigated and discussed in relation to graphene coverage and thickness homogeneity. An amorphous carbon layer at the interface between SiC and the graphene is identified, and its evolution with growth temperature is established. Atomic force microscopy, micro-Raman scattering spectroscopy, spectroscopic ellipsometry, and high-resolution cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy are combined to determine and correlate thickness, stacking order, dielectric function, and interface properties of graphene. The role of surface defects and growth temperature on the graphene growth mechanism and stacking is discussed, and a conclusion about the critical factors to achieve decoupled graphene layers is drawn.

A facile and effective technique to tune the electronic properties of graphene is essential to facilitate the flexibility of graphene-based device performances. Here, the use of hydrazine as a solution-processable and effective n-type dopant for graphene is described. By dropping hydrazine solutions at different concentrations on a graphene surface, the Dirac point of graphene can be remarkably tuned. The transport behavior of graphene can be changed from p-type to n-type accordingly, demonstrating the controllable and adjustable doping effect of the hydrazine solutions. Accompanying the Dirac point shift is an enhanced hysteretic behavior of the graphene conductance, indicating an increasing trap state density induced by the hydrazine adsorbates. The electron-doping of graphene by the hydrazine solutions can be additionally confirmed with graphene/p-type silicon heterojunctions. The decrease of the junction current after the hydrazine treatment demonstrates an increase of the junction barrier between graphene and silicon, which is essentially due to the electron-doping of graphene and the resultant upshift of the Fermi level. Finally, partially doped graphene is realized and its electrical property is studied to demonstrate the potential of the hydrazine solutions to selectively electron-doping graphene for future electronic applications.

Combination of two dimensional graphene and semi-conducting molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is of great interest for various electronic device applications. Here, we demonstrate fabrication of a hybridized structure with the chemical vapor deposited graphene and MoS2 crystals to configure a memory device. Elongated hexagonal and rhombus shaped MoS2 crystals are synthesized by sulfurization of thermally evaporated molybdenum oxide (MoO3) thin film. Scanning transmission electron microscope studies reveal atomic level structure of the synthesized high quality MoS2 crystals. In the prospect of a memory device fabrication, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is used as an insulating dielectric material as well as a supporting layer to transfer the MoS2 crystals. In the fabricated device, PMMA-MoS2 and graphene layers act as the functional and electrode materials, respectively. Distinctive bistable electrical switching and nonvolatile rewritable memory effect is observed in the fabricated PMMA-MoS2/graphene heterostructure. The developed material system and demonstrated memory device fabrication can be significant for next generation data storage applications.

This paper reports the local conductivity mapping of graphene films prepared by chemical vapor deposition and mechanical exfoliation with the help of atomic force microscope where a conducting tip scanned the graphene surface with bias voltage. The surface morphology measured by field emission scanning electron microscopy confirmed that domains and wrinkles were formed on graphene samples grown by chemical vapor deposition, and the difference in the amount of current is observed on these domain boundaries and wrinkles. The percolation current path observed in current map explains that graphene grown by the chemical vapor deposition has low conductivity compared with one mechanically exfoliated. On the other hand, exfoliated graphene layer showed sign of conductivity differences on step edges and wrinkles in comparison to flat region. The resulting observations can be explained with the help of existing theories regarding graphene and by considering the effect of sample preparation conditions.

Suspended graphene has the highest measured thermal conductivity of any material at room temperature. However, when graphene is supported by a substrate or encased between two materials, basal-plane heat transfer is suppressed by phonon interactions at the interfaces. We have used frequency domain thermoreflectance to create thermal conductance maps of graphene contacts, obtaining simultaneous measurements of the basal-plane thermal conductivity and cross-plane thermal boundary conductance for 1–7 graphitic layers encased between titanium and silicon dioxide. We find that the basal-plane thermal conductivity is similar to that of graphene supported on silicon dioxide. Our results have implications for heat transfer in two-dimensional material systems, and are relevant for applications such as graphene transistors and other nanoelectronic devices.

Resist residue from the device fabrication process is a significant source of contamination at the metal/graphene contact interface. Ultraviolet Ozone (UVO) treatment is proven here, by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman measurement, to be an effective way of cleaning the metal/graphene interface. Electrical measurements of devices that were fabricated by using UVO treatment of the metal/graphene contact region show that stable and reproducible low resistance metal/graphene contacts are obtained and the electrical properties of the graphene channel remain unaffected.

This study elucidates the correlation among conductivity of graphene and interface aspects in GaN light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Using a multilayer graphene of low sheet resistance, it is demonstrated that graphene alone can make ohmic contact with p-GaN without necessitating additional interlayer. Large-area blue LED with relatively low contact resistance in the order of 10−2 ohm-cm2 and improved forward voltage of 3.2 ± 0.1 V was realized irrespective of the use of the interlayer. The results from parallel evaluation experiments performed by varying the layer numbers of graphene with ultrathin NiOx interlayer revealed that the poor lateral conductivity of monolayer or few layer graphene can be well compensated by the interlayer. A combination of three layer graphene and NiOx offered device with enhanced electro-optical performance. But the Schottky barrier associated with the inadequate adhesion of transferred graphene dominates all the benefits and becomes a major bottleneck preventing the formation of low resistance stable ohmic contact.

The electronic properties of epitaxial graphene (EG) on SiC (0001) depend sensitively on the surface morphology of SiC substrate. Here, 2–3 layers of graphene were grown on on-axis 6H-SiC with different step densities realized through controlling growth temperature and ambient pressure. We show that epitaxial graphene on SiC (0001) with low step density and straight step edge possesses fewer point defects laying mostly on step edges and higher carrier mobility. A relationship between step density and EG mobility is established. The linear scan of Raman spectra combined with the atomic force microscopy morphology images revealed that the Raman fingerprint peaks are nearly the same on terraces, but shift significantly while cross step edges, suggesting the graphene is not homogeneous in strain and carrier concentration over terraces and step edges of substrates. Thus, control morphology of epitaxial graphene on SiC (0001) is a simple and effective method to pursue optimal route for high quality graphene and will be helpful to prepare wafer sized graphene for device applications.

We present a molecular dynamics simulation of chemical vapor deposition of graphene. Single layer graphene growth on a Ni (100) facet was studied at different substrate temperatures, C flow rates, and C flow energies. Results show that a single layer graphene film grows through a combined deposition mechanism on a Ni substrate, rather than by surface segregation. These simulations suggest that high quality graphene deposition is theoretically possible on Ni (100) facet under high flux energy.

Very less attention has been paid recently to the electrochemical properties of graphene films with intrinsic flat structure prepared by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). In this work, button supercapacitors were fabricated using ionic liquid as electrolytes and layer-by-layer graphene structures as electrodes. The specific capacitances of the supercapacitors increased with the increase of layer number. The areal specific capacitance of ten-layer graphene supercapacitor was 0.29 mF/cm2 at the scan rate of 50 mV/s, which was about three times of that of monolayer graphene supercapacitor (0.1 mF/cm2). The sandwiched multi-layer structures with oxide deposition further improved the device performance. However, the polycrystalline nature of CVD-grown graphene films introduced structural instability during charge-discharge process, resulting in degraded capacitive performance and cycling stability. Our results suggest that graphene films with intrinsic “in-plane” structure might not be ideal candidates for electrode materials.

The use of graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition to fabricate solution-gated field-effect transistors (SGFET) on different substrates is reported. SGFETs were fabricated using graphene transferred on poly(ethylene 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylate) substrate in order to study the influence of using a flexible substrate for pH sensing. Furthermore, in order to understand the influence of fabrication-related residues on top of the graphene surface, a fabrication method was developed for graphene-on-SiO2 SGFETs that enables to keep a graphene surface completely clean of any residues at the end of the fabrication. We were then able to demonstrate that the electrical response of the SGFET devices to pH does not depend either on the specific substrate on which graphene is transferred or on the existence of a moderate amount of fabrication-related residues on top of the graphene surface. These considerations simplify and ease the design and fabrication of graphene pH sensors, paving the way for developing low cost, flexible, and transparent graphene sensors on plastic. We also show that the surface transfer doping mechanism does not have significant influence on the pH sensing response. This highlights that the adsorption of hydroxyl and hydronium ions on the graphene surface due to the charging of the electrical double layer capacitance is responsible for the pH sensing mechanism.

GaN-based nanorod light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with multilayer graphene (MLG) transparent electrodes have been fabricated. Two types of nano-LEDs with graphene on and under the metal pads are fabricated and their performances are investigated. And LEDs with graphene on the metal-pads exhibiting lower forward voltage and higher electroluminescence intensity are obtained. Using scanning electron microscope and Raman spectroscopy, we have demonstrated that graphene transferred after the metal deposition remains intact and has much less damages than graphene under the metal during the fabrication of LEDs with nanorods.

Integration of graphene with other materials by direct growth, i.e., not using mechanical transfer procedures, is investigated on the example of metal/graphene/dielectric heterostructures. Such structures may become useful in spintronics applications using graphene as a spin-filter. Here, we systematically discuss the optimization of synthesis procedures for every layer of the heterostructure and characterize the material by imaging and diffraction methods. 300 nm thick contiguous (111) Ni-films are grown by physical vapor deposition on YSZ(111) or Al2O3(0001) substrates. Subsequently, chemical vapor deposition growth of graphene in ultra-high vacuum (UHV) is compared to tube-furnace synthesis. Only under UHV conditions, monolayer graphene in registry with Ni(111) has been obtained. In the tube furnace, mono- and bilayer graphene is obtained at growth temperatures of ∼800 °C, while at 900 °C, non-uniform thick graphene multilayers are formed. Y2O3 films grown by reactive molecular beam epitaxy in UHV covers the graphene/Ni(111) surface uniformly. Annealing to 500 °C results in crystallization of the yttria with a (111) surface orientation.

Graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition can be used as the conductive channel in metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors, metallic electrodes in capacitors, etc. However, substrate-induced corrugations and strain-related wrinkles formed on the graphene layer impoverish the properties of these devices by lowering the conductance and increasing their variability. Using the scanning electron microscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy, and atomic force microscopy, we investigated the morphology of as-grown and transferred graphene sheets on different substrates. We show that while the compressive strain (from the growth process) in the graphene sheet on flat substrates is minimized by generating wrinkles, and on rough substrates, it can be minimized by improving the graphene-substrate adhesion, leading to lower densities of wrinkles. This method paves the way to the design of wrinkle-free graphene based devices.

Graphene layers have been grown on C-terminated 6H-SiC (000-1) substrate by thermal decomposition with the assistance of carbon flux in a solid carbon source molecular beam epitaxy system. Results indicate that the graphene films prepared directly by the reduction of SiC in vacuum chamber are defective and disorder, while appropriate carbon flux added during the graphene growth will favor the graphene layer growth and improve the graphene layer quality. While on the other hand, too much carbon flux will affect the graphene formation and deteriorate the final graphene layer. This carbon flux assisted graphene growth behavior on SiC crystal indicates that the external carbon flux should play an important role for the graphene layer growth during the thermal reduction of SiC in vacuum condition. The mechanism of the graphene layer formed on C-face SiC and the effect of the carbon flux were discussed based on the experimental results.

Atomic and electronic structure of graphene/Ni(111), h-BN/Ni(111) and graphene/h-BN/Ni(111) nanocomposites with different numbers of graphene and h-BN layers and in different mutual arrangements of graphene/Ni and h-BN/Ni at the interfaces was studied using LDA/PBC/PW technique. Using the same technique corresponding graphene, h-BN and graphene/h-BN structures without the Ni plate were calculated for the sake of comparison. It was suggested that C-top:C-fcc and N-top:B-fcc configurations are energetically favorable for the graphene/Ni and h-BN/Ni interfaces, respectively. The Ni plate was found to induce a significant degree of spin polarization in graphene and h-BN through exchange interactions of the electronic states located on different fragments.

Graphene synthesized by chemical vapor deposition has been used to fabricate the back-gated field effect transistor to study the sensing of ammonia (NH3) in ppm levels. Graphene has been synthesized directly on a target substrate using a thin Cu film as a catalyst, which has several advantages over deposition of graphene on Cu foil followed by a transferring process to another substrate. Raman spectroscopy was used to monitor the quality of the deposited graphene films on SiO2/Si substrates. The adsorption/desorption behavior of NH3 on graphene in dry air was analyzed from the progressive shift of the Dirac peak at smaller/larger gate voltages based on different time exposures to different concentrations of NH3. The relative change in the shift of the Dirac peak was consistent with a small charge transfer (0.039 ± 0.001 electrons per molecule at room temperature). The response of the device was found to increase with increasing NH3 concentrations and operating temperatures. The dependence of device respon...

The study of epitaxial graphene layers grown on SiC by two techniques, namely, the traditional Si sublimation method and the recent chemical vapor deposition (CVD) using temperature induced shift of the Raman 2D line, is presented. The measurements of thermal shift rate of 2D line on 4 H-SiC(0001) allowed us to determine notable differences in interaction of graphene with SiC substrate. The obtained results show that graphene layers grown by Si sublimation of 4 H-SiC(0001) are pinned strongly to the substrate. In contrast, the layers of graphene grown on 4 H-SiC(0001) substrates by CVD showed much weaker pinning. It was found that the film consisting of two or three graphene layers grown by CVD was already unpinned and thus showing Raman shift expected for freestanding graphene. The obtained differences in pinning of epitaxial graphene layers are explained in terms of basic growth mechanism differences between these two methods: graphene growth by Si sublimation is a “bottom-up” process and by CVD—a “top-...

In situ analysis was performed on the graphene growth in ultrahigh vacuum chemical vapor deposition by exposing the epitaxial Ni(111) thin film to benzene vapor at 873 K. It is shown that the highly uniform single- and bi-layer graphenes can be synthesized by the control of benzene exposure in the range of 10–105 langmuirs, reflecting a change in the graphene growth-rate by three orders of magnitude in between the first and second layer. Electron energy loss spectroscopy measurements of single- and bi-layer graphenes indicates that the interface interaction between bi-layer graphene and Ni(111) is weakened in comparison with that between single-layer graphene and Ni(111). It is also clarified from the micro-Raman analysis that the structural and electrical uniformities of the graphene film transformed on a SiO2 substrate are improved remarkably under the specific exposure conditions at which the growths of single- and bi-layer graphenes are completed.

We mechanically clean graphene devices using an atomic force microscope (AFM). By scanning an AFM tip in contact mode in a broom-like way over the sample, resist residues are pushed away from the desired area. We obtain atomically flat graphene with a root mean square (rms) roughness as low as 0.12 nm after this procedure. The cleaning also results in a shift of the charge-neutrality point toward zero gate voltage, as well as an increase in charge carrier mobility.

Graphene processed by thermal, laser, and thermal plus laser treatments was used to synthesize the indium-graphene composite foils. The symmetric nature of the G’ band in the Raman spectrum was used to identify that the graphene was only few layers thick. Quantitative image analysis was used to determine the volume fraction of graphene. Electrical resistivity and temperature coefficient of resistance of the composite coupled with effective mean field approximation were analyzed to determine the volume fraction and resistivity of graphene. Thermal conductivity of the composite foils was measured using the three-omega method and multilayer analysis. The thermal conductivity of In-gr foils prepared by the three methods of processing graphene was found to be 1.8 W/cm.K. The results indicate that the improvement in the thermal conductivity of the composites was same by the three methods of treatment of graphene.

Graphene formed via chemical vapor deposition was exposed to various plasmas (Ar, O2, N2, and H2) in order to examine its effects on the bonding properties of graphene to metal. After exposing patterned graphene to Ar plasma, the subsequently deposited metal electrodes remained intact, enabling the successful fabrication of field effect transistor arrays. The effects of the enhanced adhesion between graphene and metals were more evident from the O2 plasma than the Ar, N2, and H2 plasmas, suggesting that a chemical reaction of O radicals imparts hydrophilic properties to graphene more effectively than the chemical reaction of H and N radicals or the physical bombardment of Ar ions. The electrical measurements (drain current versus gate voltage) of the field effect transistors before and after Ar plasma exposure confirmed that the plasma treatment is quite effective in controlling the graphene to metal bonding accurately without the need for buffer layers.

A rotating ball display was tested with a thin monolayer sheet. An oil cavity was formed in the shape of a spheroid in a thin elastomer sheet. The rotation of a bichromal ball was investigated from the point of rotation time from one color to the other color. Bichromal balls were under friction during rotation. The friction caused an abnormal change in the rotation time. The rotation time of the elastomer sheet was compared with that of a microcup rotating ball display. The friction explained the difference of rotation time variation between the elastomer sheet display and the microcup display.

The dielectrophoretic integration of single- and few-layered graphenes from three distinct graphene suspensions is presented, enabling the parallel assembly of individual two-dimensional nanostructures at predefined locations. The first suspension is an aqueous solution of graphene oxide, the second is ultrasonically exfoliated pristine graphene in N-methyl-pyrrolidone (NMP), and the third is exfoliated graphene in surfactant-stabilized 1 wt % aqueous SDBS solutions. The most crucial aspect for the successful thin flake deposition is the solution quality of the exfoliated graphene. After dielectrophoresis, single-layer graphene oxide is placed between the electrodes, which, while initially insulating, recovers its electrical conductivity following thermal reduction. From the chemically unmodified graphene-NMP solutions, the directed assembly of electrically active few-layer graphene flakes is realized, with flake thicknesses in the range 8–30 nm. Liquid phase exfoliation in water-surfactant solutions yiel...

Structural and electronic properties for oxygen-adsorbed graphene sheets have been explored using first-principles total-energy calculations within the local density functional theory. A finite energy gap emerges for the oxygen-adsorbed graphene and its value increases with the ratio of O∕C, as manifested by experiments. Further, adsorption energy and migration barrier for oxygen atoms on the graphene sheet have been investigated. The results show that isolated oxygen atoms are highly mobile and incline to condense on the graphene sheet.

Graphene is a highly promising material in the field of spin electronics. Recent experiments on electron spin resonance have observed a reduction in the g-factor of graphene. In our previous paper [J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 88, 094707 (2019)], we demonstrated that one of sources for this reduction is the diamagnetic property of graphene. However, the diamagnetic property by itself does not fully account for the magnitude of the reduction observed in the experiments. In this paper, we focus on the Rashba effect, which is caused by the work function existing near the surface of graphene. The Rashba effect tilts the spin magnetic moment to the in-plane direction of the graphene sheet, potentially reducing the g-factor. We evaluate this reduction using a simple model system incorporating the Rashba and spin Zeeman effects. We then demonstrate that the resultant g-factor is in close agreement with that observed in the prior experiments, indicating that the Rashba effect is able to account for the remaining reduction in the g-factor of graphene., 24 pages, 2 figure, 2 tables

Hollow cathode plasma discharges are a fundamental part of a large variety of applications in industry, academia, and space. From surface processing and coatings deposition to plasma–surface interaction research and electric propulsion, advances in hollow cathode modeling and performance are critically important to the progress and evolution of these and other areas of technology. This paper describes perspectives on the progress that has been made in recent years in the capabilities and modeling of hollow cathodes used in plasma discharges. While many of the developments have been driven by the demanding requirements of electric propulsion applications, the information provided applies to all thermionic hollow cathodes and their applications. In the paper, we describe the status of 2D global simulations of hollow cathode plasmas, hollow cathode plume instabilities, and the development of higher current cathodes and low-current heaterless cathode technologies. Advances in our understanding and technology in these areas and some of the challenges that still need to be addressed and solved are discussed.

Using the transfer matrix method, the absorption, reflection, and nonreciprocity of the cylindrical photonic crystals (CPCs) consisting of graphene and two layers of ordinary medium cascaded by a periodic sequence and a Rudin–Shapiro quasiperiodic sequence are investigated under a large incidence angle of electromagnetic wave. By comparing the cascade of two periodic structures and the case of a single periodic structure, it is concluded that the structure proposed in this paper has better nonreciprocal phenomena and wider relative absorption bandwidth at a large incidence angle, reaching 162.2%, which is also much higher than the general planar photonic crystals. The absorption performance of this structure in TE and TM modes is compared at different angles and it is found that TM mode has a wider absorption bandwidth and has an ideal bandwidth in a large range of incident angle from 20° to 80°. Meanwhile, the optimum parameters of chemical potential and medium thickness are discussed, which can meet the requirements of large absorption bandwidth and significant nonreciprocity at a large incident angle. The CPCs embedded in graphene adopted in this paper are structures that have never been studied before. The electrical conductivity of graphene can be adjusted by the chemical potential, which can more conveniently realize many optical phenomena and provide reference and application values for optical sensing, optical filtering, and optical detection.

In this paper, we aim to explain a fundamental uncertainty of the contact angle of the drops catalyzing vapor–liquid–solid growth of semiconductor nanowires (NWs). We developed the concepts about the crystallization processes occurring near the triple-phase boundary as well as the conditions of equilibrium wetting of NW top surface singular with a catalyst liquid drop characterized by the NW contact angle. We demonstrated that due to either dissolution of the crystallizable substance or its precipitation from the liquid catalyst drop on the NW tip, the wetting perimeter of the drop is not fixed and the drop can take an equilibrium shape with the NW contact angle, which does not satisfy Young's equation. The NW contact angle corresponds to the indifferent equilibrium of the catalyst droplet because of the wetting hysteresis. We proposed that the fundamental uncertainty of the NW contact angle of the catalyst drop saturated with a crystallizable substance at the NW tip is a result of the interaction of two opposing competing processes: the spheroidization of the catalytic liquid during the gravity neutralization and the wetting. We concluded that the steady-state NW contact angle of the drop depends on the free surface energies of the solid/liquid and liquid/vapor phase boundaries but does not depend on the free surface energy of the vertical sidewalls of the NWs. In this paper, we also proposed a new method to find the free surface energies of phase boundaries by the shape of the catalyst droplet on the NW tip as well as on the substrate. The paper also presents the results of obtaining the interphase free energy of the boundaries in Si-Au, Si-Cu, Ge-Au, GaAs-Au, InAs-Au, SiC-Fe, InP-Au, and so on systems.

Internal electric fields can have a significant effect on the behavior of charged defects, dopants, and impurities in operating electronic devices that can adversely impact on their long-term performance and reliability. In this paper, we investigate the redistribution of charged centers in single crystal m-plane ZnO under the action of a DC electric field at 873 K using in-plane and in-depth spatially resolved cathodoluminescence (CL) spectroscopy. The CL intensities of the ultra-violet near band edge (NBE) emission at 3.28 eV and green luminescence (GL) at 2.39 eV were observed to both uniformly increase on the anode side of the electrode gap. Conversely, toward the cathode, the NBE and GL steadily decrease and increase, respectively. The GL quenched after hydrogen donor doping, confirming that the emission is related to acceptor-like centers. Based on the electro-migration and hydrogen doping results, the GL is attributed to radiative recombination involving Z n i and V Zn pairs. The intensity of an orange luminescence centered at 2.01 eV was unaffected by the electric field and is assigned to substitutional Li acceptors.Internal electric fields can have a significant effect on the behavior of charged defects, dopants, and impurities in operating electronic devices that can adversely impact on their long-term performance and reliability. In this paper, we investigate the redistribution of charged centers in single crystal m-plane ZnO under the action of a DC electric field at 873 K using in-plane and in-depth spatially resolved cathodoluminescence (CL) spectroscopy. The CL intensities of the ultra-violet near band edge (NBE) emission at 3.28 eV and green luminescence (GL) at 2.39 eV were observed to both uniformly increase on the anode side of the electrode gap. Conversely, toward the cathode, the NBE and GL steadily decrease and increase, respectively. The GL quenched after hydrogen donor doping, confirming that the emission is related to acceptor-like centers. Based on the electro-migration and hydrogen doping results, the GL is attributed to radiative recombination involving Z n i and V Zn pairs. The intens...