CAREER: Graphene Nanomesh: Band Gap Engineering in Single Layers of Carbon

技术：本次CAREER奖的研究项目集中在一种新的石墨烯纳米结构——石墨烯纳米网，它可以有效地将横向量子约束引入一大块石墨烯中，形成均匀的半导体纳米网薄膜。利用嵌段共聚物光刻或纳米点光刻技术，可以制造出具有可变周期和颈宽的石墨烯纳米网，其宽度可达5纳米以下，因此可以微调横向量子约束的程度和带隙的大小。利用扫描探针显微镜和透射电镜对纳米网结构进行了表征。除了基础材料科学研究外，该项目还包括电输运研究，以确定关键材料参数，包括带隙和载流子迁移率，通过合作进行理论计算，以了解这种新型石墨烯纳米结构的基本带结构并指导实验优化，以及测试顶门控石墨烯纳米网器件的制造。非技术：该项目涉及材料科学主题领域的基础研究问题，具有高技术相关性。预计该项目的成功将对纳米电子学的进一步发展以及纳米科学和纳米技术的进一步发展产生影响。该项目的研究和教育方案是一体化的。该研究项目为研究生提供了一个基础广泛、超越传统教育界限的教育和培训机会。积极招募代表性不足的群体参与研究项目。学校与工业界建立了合作伙伴关系，为学生提供第一手的工业经验，并为他们成为新兴技术的未来劳动力做好准备。在这个项目中开发的材料和方法被整合到研究生和本科课程中，以扩大PI实验室之外的教育经验；并用于培训高中教师和为高中科学课程设计实验包，以便在大学以外的当地社区推广。总之，这些努力对培训和为新兴技术提供稳定和多样化的高素质人才来源作出了重大贡献，并有助于保持美国技术的竞争优势。

Technical: The research program of this CAREER award focuses on a new graphene nanostructure, graphene nanomesh, which can effectively introduce lateral quantum confinement into a large piece of graphene to form a uniform semiconducting nanomesh thin film. Using block copolymer lithography or nanodot lithography, graphene nanomeshes are fabricated with variable periodicities and neck widths down to the sub-5 nm regime, and hence to fine tune the degree of lateral quantum confinement and the size of the band gap. The nanomesh structures are characterized using scanning probe microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. In addition to fundamental materials science research, the project includes electrical transport studies in order to determine the critical material parameters including the band gap and carrier mobility, theoretical calculations carried out through collaborations to understand the fundamental band structure of this new graphene nanostructure and to guide experimental optimization, and fabrication of testing top-gated graphene nanomesh devices.Non-technical: The project addresses basic research issues in a topical area of materials science with high technological relevance. The success of the project is expected to have impacts on the further advancement of nanoelectronics and, in general, nanoscience and nanotechnology. The research and education programs of the project are integrated. The research program provides graduate students with an education and training opportunity that is broadly based and goes beyond traditional educational boundaries. Underrepresented groups are actively recruited to participate in the research program. A partnership with industry for education is developed for students to gain first-hand experience in industry and to better prepare them as the future workforce for emerging technologies. The materials and methodologies developed in this project are integrated into graduate and undergraduate courses to broaden the education experience beyond the PI's lab; and are used to train high school teachers and design experimental kits for high school science classes to reach the local communities beyond the university. Together, these efforts contribute significantly to train and supply a steady and diversified source of highly qualified individuals for emerging technologies, and contribute to maintain the competitive advantage of America's technology.