| Description |
This dissertation focuses on graphene, a promising two-dimensional, carbon material with many favorable electronic properties. The prospect of implementing graphene into a wide variety of potential device applications is enticing, but many factors stand in the way before this goal is realized. Atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD) is a graphene production method that may be compatible with large-scale growth. Motivated by the need to more fully understand APCVD growth of graphene, a system is constructed, and several studies are carried out. Specifically, a detailed study is presented which involves the effects of hydrogen and contaminant oxygen in APCVD-grown graphene. The research shows that hydrogen is an important factor to control during the cooling stage of APCVD, as it has a direct effect on the formation of oxides on the copper foil (copper is used as the catalyst for graphene growth in APCVD). It is also determined that hydrogen, as well as the reaction chamber, play an important role in the formation of SiO2 nanoparticles, which accumulate on the copper surface during graphene growth. Methods for patterning and processing graphene are also explored in this dissertation, as such methods are crucial in the realization of graphene-based devices. The method of e-beam assisted metal deposition used in conjunction with masked-CVD growth is proposed as an effective alternative to conventional processing methods such as photolithography and electron-beam lithography. The proposed methods have several advantages, which pave the way for lowering graphene/metal contact resistance, and preserving the intrinsic properties of graphene during device fabrication. |
