Graphene and boron nitride molecular hybrid electrical devices
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Nottingham
Department Name: Sch of Physics & Astronomy
Abstract
The focus of study will be heterostructures formed by boron nitride and graphene which are grown using a newly installed molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) system. The PhD student will initially focus on the understanding of graphene growth on a variety of substrates using, primarily, high resolution ambient atomic force microscopy with additional opportunities for sample characterisation using Raman spectroscopy, electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Graphene grown using the new MBE system will be used for a series of experiments, for example using epitaxial tunnel devices in which a boron nitride (BN) barrier is grown between two graphene layers. There will also be the opportunity to investigate molecular hybrid devices. A simple approach will be to investigate the bridging of gaps in graphene on the 1-10 nm scale by single molecules and polymer strands including strongly emitting dye molecules such as porphyrins. These devices will be investigated using electrical measurements, including at low temperature, and electroluminescence spectroscopy. The student will also be encouraged to explore related topics such as scanning tunnelling microscopy and low temperature atomic force microscopy.
Organisations
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP/N50970X/1 | 01/10/2016 | 30/09/2021 | |||
| 1940671 | Studentship | EP/N50970X/1 | 01/10/2017 | 23/06/2021 | James Wrigley |
| Description | Over the course of the award so far, progress has been made on developing the growth of graphene on boron nitride (BN), and the reverse. Both materials form hexagonal atomic lattices of similar sizes, and the growth of one on the other is expected to provide routes to the production of graphene-based transistors and LEDs. My work has primarily consisted of the analysis, via atomic force microscopy (AFM), of samples of BN/G and G/BN in order to determine consistencies of the growth and controllable aspects of the deposition. BN has been found to grow cleanly in monolayers, without the presence of additional amorphous aggregates, when grown from monolayer steps of graphite, and to tend to prefer growth along the armchair crystallographic edge at high temperatures of growth (using molecular beam epitaxy to grow the materials). |
| Exploitation Route | Clean interfaces between BN and G could lead to subsequent creation of lateral heterostructures, usable in micro- and photo-electronics, among other potential applications. |
| Sectors | Electronics |