Collaborative Research: Impurity Incorporation into Epitaxial Graphene on SiC

技术描述：本研究项目的目标是开发一种新方法，将一定量的取代杂质放入在SiC上生长的石墨烯中，对掺杂结构进行物理和电子表征，并评估薄膜性能的变化。在石墨烯形成之前，杂质被植入到SiC晶圆中。对晶圆片进行退火处理，使杂质分布接近表面。然后通过硅的升华来生长石墨烯，同时将杂质驱动到石墨烯薄膜中。在此过程之后，杂质的分布是由表面分析技术以及电输运测量表征。如果成功，该方法也可以应用于其他二维材料。非技术描述：石墨烯是一种单层碳原子以蜂窝晶格结构结合在一起，具有独特的电学和机械性能。有效地利用这些特性需要在薄膜中加入预定数量的杂质原子（掺杂）。该项目开发了一种新方法，将控制数量的原子合并到石墨烯的单原子层中，并在跨学科环境中为研究生提供培训。此外，明尼苏达大学和罗格斯大学的本科生，以及乔治亚理工学院的高中教师，在项目中获得直接的实践研究经验，以及在主要研究者教授的课程中获得研究材料和对项目产生的新理解。

Technical Description: The goal of this research project is to develop a novel method to place controlled amounts of substitutional impurities into graphene grown on SiC, to physically and electronically characterize the doped structures, and to evaluate the changes in the film's properties. Impurities are implanted into a SiC wafer prior to graphene formation. The wafer is annealed to bring the impurity distribution near the surface. Then graphene is grown by sublimation of Si, simultaneously driving the impurities into the graphene film. After this process, the impurity distribution is characterized by surface analytical techniques as well as by electrical transport measurements. If successful, the method can also be applied to other two-dimensional materials.Non-technical Description: Graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms bound together in a honeycomb lattice structure, has unique electrical and mechanical properties. Effective use of these properties requires the inclusion of predetermined amounts of impurity atoms (doping) in the films. The project develops a new method to incorporate controlled amounts of atoms into a single atomic layer of graphene, and provides graduate student training in an interdisciplinary environment. In addition, undergraduate students at the University of Minnesota and at Rutgers University, as well as high school teachers working at Georgia Tech, obtain direct hands-on research experience in the project as well as study materials and new understanding resulting from the project in courses taught by the principal investigators.