Maxime G. Lemaitre

Rectification at graphene-semiconductor interfaces: Zero-gap semiconductor-based diodes

Diodes based on metal-semiconductor interfaces are common place in semiconductor electronics. What happens when the normal metal is replaced by monolayer graphene? A group of physicists at University of Florida experimentally demonstrate that graphene-semiconductor interfaces make interesting diodes for a surprisingly wide variety of semiconductors.

Stable hole doping of graphene for low electrical resistance and high optical transparency

We report on the p doping of graphene with the polymer TFSA ((CF(3)SO(2))(2)NH). Modification of graphene with TFSA decreases the graphene sheet resistance by 70%. Through such modification, we report sheet resistance values as low as 129 Ω, thus attaining values comparable to those of indium-tin oxide (ITO), while displaying superior environmental stability and preserving electrical properties over extended time scales. Electrical transport measurements reveal that, after doping, the carrier density of holes increases, consistent with the acceptor nature of TFSA, and the mobility decreases due to enhanced short-range scattering. The Drude formula predicts that competition between these two effects yields an overall increase in conductivity. We confirm changes in the carrier density and Fermi level of graphene through changes in the Raman G and 2D peak positions. Doped graphene samples display high transmittance in the visible and near-infrared spectrum, preserving graphenes optical properties without any significant reduction in transparency, and are therefore superior to ITO films in the near infrared. The presented results allow integration of doped graphene sheets into optoelectronics, solar cells, and thermoelectric solar cells as well as engineering of the electrical characteristics of various devices by tuning the Fermi level of graphene.

Graphene/GaN Schottky diodes: Stability at elevated temperatures

Rectification and thermal stability of diodes formed at graphene/GaN interfaces have been investigated using Raman Spectroscopy and temperature-dependent current-voltage measurements. The Schottky barriers formed between GaN and mechanically transferred graphene display rectification that is preserved up to 550 K with the diodes eventually becoming non-rectifying above 650 K. Upon cooling, the diodes show excellent recovery with improved rectification. We attribute these effects to the thermal stability of graphene, which acts like an impenetrable barrier to the diffusion of contaminants across the interface, and to changes in the interface band alignment associated with thermally induced dedoping of graphene.

Improved Transfer of Graphene for Gated Schottky-Junction, Vertical, Organic, Field-Effect Transistors

An improved process for graphene transfer was used to demonstrate high performance graphene enabled vertical organic field effect transistors (G-VFETs). The process reduces disorder and eliminates the polymeric residue that typically plagues transferred films. The method also allows for purposely creating pores in the graphene of a controlled areal density. Transconductance observed in G-VFETs fabricated with a continuous (pore-free) graphene source electrode is attributed to modulation of the contact barrier height between the graphene and organic semiconductor due to a gate field induced Fermi level shift in the low density of electronic-states graphene electrode. Pores introduced in the graphene source electrode are shown to boost the G-VFET performance, which scales with the areal pore density taking advantage of both barrier height lowering and tunnel barrier thinning. Devices with areal pore densities of 20% exhibit on/off ratios and output current densities exceeding 10(6) and 200 mA/cm(2), respectively, at drain voltages below 5 V.

Drawing graphene nanoribbons on SiC by ion implantation

We describe a straightforward technique for selective graphene growth and nanoribbon production onto 4H- and 6H-SiC. The technique presented is as easy as ion implanting regions where graphene layers are desired followed by annealing to 100 °C below the graphitization temperature (TG) of SiC. We find that ion implantation of SiC lowers the TG, allowing selective graphene growth at temperatures below the TG of pristine SiC and above TG of implanted SiC. This results in an approach for patterning device structures ranging from a couple tens of nanometers to microns in size without using conventional lithography and chemical processing.

Low-temperature, site selective graphitization of SiC via ion implantation and pulsed laser annealing

A technique is presented to selectively graphitize regions of SiC by ion implantation and pulsed laser annealing (PLA). Nanoscale features are patterned over large areas by multi-ion beam lithography and subsequently converted to few-layer graphene via PLA in air. Graphitization occurs only where ions have been implanted and without elevating the temperature of the surrounding substrate. Samples were characterized using Raman spectroscopy, ion scattering/channeling, SEM, and AFM, from which the degree of graphitization was determined to vary with implantation species, damage and dose, laser fluence, and pulsing. Contrasting growth regimes and graphitization mechanisms during PLA are discussed.

On Field-Effect Photovoltaics: Gate Enhancement of the Power Conversion Efficiency in a Nanotube/Silicon-Nanowire Solar Cell

Recent years have seen a resurgence of interest in crystalline silicon Schottky junction solar cells distinguished by the use of low density of electronic states (DOS) nanocarbons (nanotubes, graphene) as the metal contacting the Si. Recently, unprecedented modulation of the power conversion efficiency in a single material system has been demonstrated in such cells by the use of electronic gating. The gate field induced Fermi level shift in the low-DOS carbon serves to enhance the junction built-in potential, while a gate field induced inversion layer at the Si surface, in regions remote from the junction, keeps the photocarriers well separated there, avoiding recombination at surface traps and defects (a key loss mechanism). Here, we extend these results into the third dimension of a vertical Si nanowire array solar cell. A single wall carbon nanotube layer engineered to contact virtually each n-Si nanowire tip extracts the minority carriers, while an ionic liquid electrolytic gate drives the nanowire body into inversion. The enhanced light absorption of the vertical forest cell, at 100 mW/cm(2) AM1.5G illumination, results in a short-circuit current density of 35 mA/cm(2) and associated power conversion efficiency of 15%. These results highlight the use of local fields as opposed to surface passivation as a means of avoiding front surface recombination. A deleterious electrochemical reaction of the silicon due to the electrolyte gating is shown to be caused by oxygen/water entrained in the ionic liquid electrolyte. While encapsulation can avoid the issue, a nonencapsulation-based approach is also implemented.