Formation of Germanene, the Ge Analog of Graphene, using Electrochemical Atomic Layer Deposition (E-ALD)

非技术描述：该项目涉及形成一种具有独特特性的新材料，可用于开发和改进一系列功能性设备。最令人兴奋的新材料之一是石墨烯，原子级薄的碳片，形状像“铁丝网”，具有前所未有的特性。据预计，射频器件将大大改善时，石墨烯纳入。计算表明，硅和锗可以分别形成石墨烯的类似物：硅烯和锗烯。然而，这些材料的独立片材尚未在实验室中实现。大多数形成它们的尝试都涉及高温。这个研究小组的工作涉及使用电沉积，一种室温生长技术，到目前为止，结果令人鼓舞。除了锗烯的形成外，该项目的首要意义在于培养未来的科学家。该研究小组由本科生和研究生组成，其中一半是女性。该项目的成果发表在同行评议的文献中，并在国家和国际科学会议上的演讲中进行了描述。技术说明：该研究项目是关于锗烯（石墨烯的Ge类似物）的生长和表征。从头计算表明，锗烯应该是稳定的，并具有类似于石墨烯的性质。然而，锗烯的形成尚未在文献中报道。石墨烯的Si类似物硅烯已经被报道，尽管仅作为在真空中在金属表面上共价结合的Si的单原子层。该项目涉及开发通过原子层沉积（E-ALD）的电化学模拟来生长锗烯纳米膜的化学方法，并确定其生长和优化的机制。沉积物的结构、形态和组成的表征用表面分析方法如光电子能谱、低能电子衍射、原位扫描隧道显微镜以及薄膜技术如微探针、X射线衍射、透射电子显微镜和拉曼光谱（包括原位拉曼测量）进行。该项目还试图开发从衬底中去除锗烯的方法，以便更好地测量其固有特性。

Non-technical Description: This project involves the formation of a new material with unique properties that could potentially be used to develop and improve on a range of functional devices. One of the most exciting new materials is called graphene, atomically thin sheets of carbon in the shape of "chicken wire" with properties never seen before. It is anticipated that radio-frequency devices will improve dramatically when graphene is incorporated. Calculations suggest that silicon and germanium may form analogs of graphene: silicene and germanene, respectively. However, stand-alone sheets of those materials have not been realized in laboratories. Most attempts to form them have involved high temperatures. Work by this research team has involved the use of electrodeposition, a room-temperature growth technique, and the results so far have been encouraging. The primary importance of this project, besides the formation of germanene, is the training of future scientists. This research group is composed of a mix of undergraduate and graduate students, half of whom are women. Results of this project are published in the peer reviewed literature and described in presentations at national and international scientific meetings.Technical Description: This research project is on the growth and characterization of germanene, the Ge analog of graphene. Ab initio calculations have indicated that germanene should be stable and have properties similar to graphene. Formation of germanene has not yet been reported in the literature, however. The Si analog of graphene, silicene, has been reported, though only as single atomic layers of covalently bound Si on metal surfaces in vacuum. This project involves developing chemical methods to grow germanene nanofilms via the electrochemical analog of atomic layer deposition (E-ALD), and determining the mechanism for its growth and optimization. Characterization of the structure, morphology and composition of deposits is performed with surface analytical methods such as photoelectron spectroscopy, low energy electron diffraction, in-situ scanning tunneling microscopy, as well as with thin film techniques such as microprobe, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy (including in-situ Raman measurements). The project also attempts to develop methods for removing germanene from the substrate so that its intrinsic properties can be better measured.