EAGER: Graphene-Nanoribbons of Controlled Width and Crystallographic-Orientation

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。该奖项的研究目标是开发一种新的合成工艺来生产石墨烯纳米带（gnr），其宽度控制在1纳米分辨率，晶体取向（CO）控制在50分辨率（具有可控的锯齿，臂链或混合边缘）。该工艺包括使用超微切片机将高取向热解石墨（HOPG）块精确切割成石墨纳米块（GNB），然后将其化学剥落以生产gnr。将进行详细的研究，以表征gnr的电学和结构特性，并确定宽度和CO对gnr带隙和载流子迁移率的影响。研究的其他参数和影响包括：载流子输运机制、边缘表面缺陷、边缘功能化、沿长度的宽度偏差和GNR起皱折叠。将建立相关关系，以确定合成工艺参数对gnr结构性能的影响。如果成功，本研究的结果将开发出一种高通量合成gnr的有效工艺，具有可控宽度和CO，并将提供gnr结构和电性能之间的详细相关性。这将使理论确认和gnr应用的发展感兴趣的半导体工业，包括场效应管，逻辑器件和传感器。该项目的成功将为研究人员提供一种快速、简单、低成本和可控的GNR合成工艺，从而进一步加快GNR研究。研究结果将纳入课程作业，并通过期刊出版物和在国家会议上的发言加以传播。本项目将直接培养一名博士生和一名本科生。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).The research objective of this award is to develop a novel synthesis process to produce graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) with width controlled at a resolution of 1 nm and crystallographic-orientation (CO) controlled at a resolution of 50 (with controlled zig-zag, arm-chain or mixed edges). The process involves the use of a ultramicrotome to precisely slice a highly-oriented-pyrolytic-graphite (HOPG) block into graphite nanoblocks (GNB), which will then be chemically exfoliated to produce GNRs. A detailed study will be conducted to characterize the electrical and structural properties of GNRs and to determine the effect of the width and the CO on the band-gap and the carrier mobility of GNRs. Other parameters and effects which will be studied include: carrier transport mechanism, edge & surface defects, edge functionalization, width deviations along length and GNR wrinkling & folding. Correlations will be developed to define the effect of the synthesis process parameters on the structural properties of the GNRs.If successful, the results of this research will develop an efficient process to synthesize GNRs at high-throughput with controlled width & CO and will provide detailed correlations between the structural and the electrical properties of the GNRs. This will enable confirmation of theory and development of GNR-applications of interest to the semiconductor industry including FETs, logic devices and sensors. The success of this project will further expedite GNR research by providing researchers with access to a fast, simple, low-cost and controlled GNR synthesis process. The research results will be incorporated into coursework and disseminated through journal-publications and presentations at national meetings. One PhD student and one undergraduate student will be directly trained on this project.