Thermal decomposition of Silicon Carbide (SiC) has proven to be an excellent method to grow transfer-free wafer-scale graphene[1-5]. There is a growing body of literature that recognizes the potential of graphene for use in electronics. However, the fact that graphene is a semimetal with zero bandgap is a key issue which challenges its remarkable range of applications. Theoretical work suggests that a bandgap might be opened in graphene through quantum confinement, for example in graphene nanoribbons. Therefore, over the past few years, a considerable literature has grown up around the theme of producing a semiconducting graphene.

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In this research we attempt to manipulate the SiC substrate dimension to grow graphene over small nanostructures with lateral sizes ranging from tens of nm to 1 µm. To date, there has been a few reports about the growth of graphene on nanometre-scale SiC mesas, and very little is known about the effect of changing the dimension and characteristic of the substrate on which graphene is grown. In order to elucidate the possibility for patterned graphene-growth in substrate-defined geometries, we have examined the effect of SiC patterning on graphene growth.

Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) is used to investigate the surface condition and to identify surface reconstructions produced by the growth process.

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PhD Student: Mojtaba Amjadi Pour

Post Doc: Bharati Gupta

Supervisors: Prof Nunzio Motta, Prof Jose Alarco,
Dr Jennifer MacLeod, Prof Francesca Iacopi

 

Collaborations:

University of Technology Sydney, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Università di Roma La Sapienza
 

[1]        Carbon, 2014. 68: p. 563-572.

[2]        Carbon, 2015. 91(0): p. 378-385.

[3]        Nanotechnology, 2016. 27(18): p. 185601.

[4]        Carbon, 2016. 98: p. 307-312.

[5]        Nanotechnology, 2017. 28(11).