EAPSI: Understanding the effect of temperature on graphene, as a potential material for next generation electronics

Qi Zhengqing J, Philadelphia PA

Investigators

Abstract

Continuing miniaturization and enhancing the performance of modern-day electronics depend on the introduction of novel materials. Graphene is an atomically thin sheet of carbon atoms that possesses electrical properties that could enable faster, smaller, and more efficient electronics. However, little is known about the effect of high temperatures on graphene. Specifically, if graphene were used in modern-day electronics, a significant factor that may limit device performance is the influence of thermal energy on graphene's atomic structure, potentially mitigating its highly desirable electronic properties. To this end, a quantitative understanding of how atomic structure is affected by thermal stress is needed in order to assess graphene's viability for next generation high performance electronics. This project will image the structure of graphene (using an atomic-resolution microscope) while it's being heated to quantized temperatures to understand the influence of heat. The knowledge gained through these efforts, in collaboration with Dr. Jun Luo at Tsinghua University in Beijing, will provide rational decision-making as to graphene's readiness for future nanoelectronics. An aberration-corrected transmission electron microscope (AC-TEM), necessary for atomic-resolution imaging of graphene has been established at Tsinghua University. This project aims to sculpt suspended monolayer graphene into nanoribbon geometries within an AC-TEM. A heating sample holder will systematically heat the graphene nanoribbon up to 1100 degrees C while atomic-resolution images are simultaneously captured. This will allow for the correlation of quantified temperatures to the atomic structure of graphene nanoribbons. Ultimately, this project will seek to understand effects of temperature on geometric factors (i.e. width, crystallographic orientation, edge geometry) in graphene nanostructures. This NSF EAPSI award is funded in collaboration with the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology.