Georgia Institute of Technology NSF MRSEC Highlight

Altering the physical performance of graphene with chemistry

Palanisamy Ramesh, Mikhail E. Itkis, Feihu Wang, Elena Bekyarova, Robert C. Haddon
University of California at Riverside

Selective spatial electro-

oxidation of graphene.

Progressive electrochemical oxidation of epitaxial

Schematic (top) and a photograph (bottom)
of FET devices fabricated with pristine and
and electrooxidized graphene.
graphene allows the controlled removal of graphene
layers and leads to the modification of the electronic
properties of the graphene devices. Field effect
transistors (FETs) fabricated with electro-oxidized
graphene showed improved transistor performance.
Furthermore the controlled oxidation of graphene
opens a route towards patterned graphene
structures.

Sponsored by NSF-MRSEC through contract DMR-0820382

 Georgia Institute of Technology NSF MRSEC Highlight
Designing a Graphene-Based Biosensor
V. Kodali, M. Bedoya, T. Lamar, J. Scrimgeour, J. E. Curtis
School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology

Ultra-sensitive biosensor applications include

testing blood sugar levels using sweat or saliva
(as opposed to blood) or detecting minute
amounts of cancer-related chemical reporters in
the blood stream. Few, if any biosensors can
currently achieve these goals within practical
constraints.
The key is to be able to detect and report the
presence of just a few molecules in a solution.
The special electronic properties of graphene
make it an ideal candidate material for a novel
biosensor. We have designed an experimental PDMS microfluidic channel designed
platform combining electronic measurements with entry points for electronic 4-point
with microfluidics to systematically interrogate contact measurements (copper
graphene’s electronic sensitivity to biomolecular needles). This allows for systematic
adsorption on graphene’s surface versus change of the protein solution (red)
concentration while taking electronic
changing concentration.
readings.

Sponsored by NSF-MRSEC through contract DMR-0820382

 Georgia Institute of Technology NSF MRSEC Highlight
Graphene Growth Scales Up!
Prof. Walt de Heer, Dr. Claire Berger and Prof. Edward Conrad
School of Physics, Georgia Tech

Use this space for A new atomic force microscope 

another picture, has been added to give nano‐
resolution images of graphene 
graphic or figure coated structures grown by the 
new furnaces.

Two new furnaces have been built that 
are now producing uniform graphene 
films up to 1.7cm in diameter.  This 
new production method opens the way 
for graphene grown on silicon carbide 
to be scaled up for industrial 
electronics fabrication.
New RF furnace design produces 1.7cm 
diameter uniform graphene films.

Sponsored by NSF-MRSEC through contract DMR-0820382

 Georgia Institute of Technology NSF MRSEC Highlight
Graphene Inks For Transparent Electrodes.
Samuel Graham
Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering

The ability to solution

deposit Graphene based
inks by vacuum filtration
and and ultransonic spray
provides a scalable
solution for manufacturing
electrodes.

The development of graphene ink

The reduction of graphene oxide (top) to
graphene (bottom) while in solution was
made possible using a combination of
heating and exposure to UV light. It
provides a scalable way to produce inks.
solutions is a key technology
which will lead printable electrodes
for flexible electronics. A simple
low temperature technique
provides an easy method to create
solvent based inks which are
compatible with simple printing
methods.

Sponsored by NSF-MRSEC through contract DMR-0820382

 Selective Epitaxial Graphene Growth on SiC via AlN Capping
F. Zaman*, M. Moseley, and J. D. Meindl
School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

M. Rubio-Roy*, Y. Hu, C. Berger, and W. A. de Heer

School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology
* These authors contributed equally to this work.

AlN, deposited by molecular

beam epitaxy and patterned
by electron beam lithography,
forms an effective capping
layer for epitaxial graphene
growth on C-face SiC.
Graphitization in background
Ar pressure of 100 Pa at
1420oC eliminates any Si
sublimation from regions
covered with AlN.

Characterization of Noncontact AFM topography

a) Optical microscope image of
graphene hall-bar with square
delimiting scanned area. b) 2D
band intensity of scanned area.
Characteristic Raman signal for
graphene only appears in non-
capped areas.
Sponsored by NSF-MRSEC through contract DMR-0820382
Selective Epitaxial Graphene image of part of a hall bar:
Small AlN residue particles are
Thickness: 0.6 nm visible after annealing.
Measured sheet resistance:
1.0±0.1 kΩ/□ Key Points:
• Successful growth of epitaxial
Electron density: graphene in selected regions of
1.08±0.06 x 1013 cm-2
SiC not capped by AlN
Hall mobility: 580±80 cm2/Vs • Growth with no exposure of the
graphene to external chemicals,
such as resists and etchants, that
deteriorate graphene performance
 Ultrafast Relaxation of Hot Dirac Fermions in
Epitaxial Graphene
Dong Sun, Zong-Kwei Wu, Charles Divin and Theodore Norris
Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan

Xuebin Li, Claire Berger, W. A. de Heer, and P. N. First

School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology
In high speed devices, electrons are accelerated to high energy by a high electric field; to
understand device performance, it’s important to know how those “hot” electrons relax by
70 fs scattering with each other and with the environment (the graphene lattice and the SiC substrate).
Pump 100 fs
Probe

E-E collision cooling

Cold Electron
Te
Very Hot Electron
Hot Electron

A short pulse can heat up the Those excited electrons Electrons release With a short probe pulse at
electrons; these electrons transfer heat to each other heat by collision different colors, we can measure
mimic those hot electrons in by collision, and reach with the lattice, the electron temperature at
high speed electronics devices. equilibrium within 30 fs. until they lose all different times with 100-
their heat. femtosecond resolution.
“Interlayer Thermal Coupling of Hot Dirac Fermions in Epitaxial Graphene,” APS March Meeting, Pittsburg, PA (2009)

NSF Support: ECCS-0804908 and Georgia Tech MRSEC (DMR-0820382).

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