CAREER: Understanding the Chemical Vapor Deposition Synthesis of Graphene: Science, Application and Education

技术：该项目是研究石墨烯在金属衬底（如镍）上的生长，使用化学气相沉积（CVD）技术，并随后将石墨烯层转移到半导体、金属和塑料等不同类型的材料上。石墨烯是碳原子六角形排列在单原子厚的薄片上。虽然在过去的几年里，石墨烯的研究活动呈爆炸式增长，但未来石墨烯基础研究和应用的成功，关键取决于能否在任意衬底上获得连续的大面积单晶石墨烯片，并控制层数。本项目旨在实现这一目标。该项目的研究活动包括两个互补的途径：一个是通过随时间变化的原位拉曼表征直接研究CVD的生长。第二步涉及石墨烯和金属衬底的结构分析，在调整各种合成参数时提供反馈信息。所提出的活动的智力优点包括：(1)了解石墨烯在金属衬底上的CVD生长机制；(2)确定石墨烯合成的最佳路线；(3)研究各种缺陷对电子性能的影响以及镍-石墨烯界面现象。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。如果大面积单晶石墨烯在绝缘衬底上的成功，将为石墨烯在电子、太阳能电池、柔性显示器、发光二极管等领域的应用开辟巨大的机遇。项目活动也为学生在化学、材料科学、纳米制造和电气工程方面的培训提供了极好的机会。这项工作有望为各级学生提供一篇高度跨学科和创造性的博士论文和学习经验，以接受纳米科学和纳米技术的教育。本科生和高中生，包括那些代表性不足的群体，将被招募参加拟议的研究。在这项研究计划中进行的调查也将作为本科和研究生课程的几个主题的基础。

Technical: This project is to study growth of graphene on metal substrates such as nickel using the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique and subsequent transfer of the graphene layers to diverse types of materials such as semiconductor, metal, and plastics. Graphene is the hexagonal arrangement of carbon atoms in a one-atom-thick sheet. While there has been an explosion of research activities on graphene over the past a few years, the success of future fundamental research and applications of graphene is critically depending upon the capability to obtain continuously large-area, single-crystalline graphene sheets with controlled number of layers on arbitrary substrates. This project aims to achieve this goal. The research activities of the project include two complementary routes: One involves the direct investigation on the CVD growth, via time-dependent in-situ Raman characterization. The second involves structural analysis on both the graphene and metal substrate to provide feedback information while various synthesis parameters are tuned. The intellectual merits of the proposed activities include: (1) understanding of the CVD growth mechanism of the graphene on metal substrates (2) identification of optimal routes for graphene synthesis, (3) study of the effect of various defects to the electronic properties and of the nickel-graphene interface phenomena.Non-technical: The project addresses basic research issues in a topical area of materials science with high technological relevance. If the large-area, single-crystalline graphene on insulating substrate is successful, tremendous opportunities will open up for the applications of graphene in electronics, solar cells, flexible displays, light emitting diodes. The project activities also offer an excellent opportunity for training of students in chemistry, material science, nanofabrication and electrical engineering. This work is expected to lead to a highly interdisciplinary and creative Ph.D. dissertation and learning experience for students from all levels to be educated in nanoscience and nanotechnology. Undergraduate students and high school students, including those from under-represented groups, will be recruited to participate in the proposed research. Investigations carried out in this research program will also serve as a basis for several topics for undergraduate and graduate courses.