Search arXivSearch

arXiv · 1907.10916

Reducing sheet resistance of self-assembled transparent graphene films by defect patching and doping with UV/ozone treatment

Abstract

Liquid phase exfoliation followed by Langmuir-Blodgett self-assembly (LBSA) is a promising method for scalable production of thin graphene films for transparent conductor applications. However, monolayer assembly into thin films often induces a high density of defects, resulting in a large sheet resistance that hinders practical use. We introduce UV/ozone as a novel photochemical treatment that reduces sheet resistance of LBSA graphene threefold, while preserving the high optical transparency. The effect of such treatment on our films is opposite to the effect it has on mechanically exfoliated or CVD films, where UV/ozone creates additional defects in the graphene plane, increasing sheet resistance. Raman scattering shows that exposure to UV/ozone reduces the defect density in LBSA graphene, where edges are the dominant defect type. FTIR spectroscopy indicates binding of oxygen to the graphene lattice during exposure to ozone. In addition, work function measurements reveal that the treatment dopes the LBSA film, making it more conductive. Such defect patching paired with doping leads to an accessible way of improving the transparent conductor performance of LBSA graphene, making solution-processed thin films a candidate for industrial use.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Tijana Tomašević-Ilić, Djordje Jovanović, Igor Popov, Rajveer Fandan, Jorge Pedrós, Marko Spasenović, Radoš Gajić. 2019-08-16. Reducing sheet resistance of self-assembled transparent graphene films by defect patching and doping with UV/ozone treatment. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2018.07.111

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

Incommensurate structural and magnetic modulations in potassium-rich cryptomelane, K$_x$Mn$_8$O$_{16}$ ($x\approx1.45$)

Cryptomelane is a hollandite-like material consisting of K$^+$ cations in an $α$-MnO$_2$ tunnel-like crystallographic motif. Cryptomelane with stoichiometry K$_x$Mn$_8$O$_{16}$ ($x\approx1.45$) has been synthesized and its magnetic properties investigated using variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility, heat capacity, and neutron powder diffraction. Three distinct transitions at $T_1=184$\,K, $T_2=54.5$\,K, and $T_3=24$\,K are observed. At $T_1$ there is a subtle tetragonal$\rightarrow$monoclinic transition associated with emergence of a set of non-magnetic superstructure peaks indexable to a $\vec{k}_\mathrm{struc}\approx0.74\vec{c^*}$ incommensurate modulation parallel to the $α$-MnO$_2$ tunnels. Our findings are consistent with a relation previously reported in titanate hollandites, that $x\approx2|\vec{k}_\mathrm{struc}|$. Magnetic Bragg peaks emerge below $T_2=54.5$\,K, and their positions indicate an incommensurate modulated magnetic structure. The model consistent with the data is a dual-$\vec{k}_\mathrm{mag}$ structure with a ferromagnetic $|\vec{k}_\mathrm{mag}|=0$ component and an incommensurate $\vec{k}_\mathrm{mag}\approx0.37\vec{c^*}$, with the latter most likely to be helical. The period of oscillation of the incommensurate magnetic component is in line with predictions based on a Heisenberg spin Hamiltonian [Mandal \textit{et al}. Phys. Rev. B 90, 104420 (2014)]. Below $T_3=24$\,K, there is a magnetic transition, which gives rise to a different set of magnetic Bragg peaks indicative of a highly complex magnetic structure.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

An anisotropic functional for two-dimensional material systems

Density function theory is the workhorse of modern electronic structure theory. However, its accuracy in practical calculations is limited by the choice of the exchange-correlation potential. In this respect, two-dimensional materials pose a special challenge, as all these materials and their heterostructures have a crucial similarity. The underlying atomic structures are strongly spatially inhomogeneous, implying that current exchange-correlation functionals, that in almost all cases are isotropic, are ill-prepared for an accurate description. We present an anisotropic screened-exchange potential, that remedies this problem and reproduces the band-gap of 2D materials as well as the piecewise linearity of the total energy with fractional occupation number.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Thermally-driven reorientation of the Néel vector in altermagnetic MnTe

Altermagnets are novel magnetic systems that possess a spin-polarized electronic band structure without a net magnetic moment, making them promising for device applications. Hexagonal MnTe, a prototypical altermagnet, arguably exhibits the most properties consistent with theoretical predictions, including an anomalous Hall effect despite a vanishing net magnetization, and altermagnetinduced electronic band splitting. However, fundamental questions remain, including why some effects only appear significantly below the magnetic ordering temperature. Here, we resolve this discrepancy by revealing a reorientation of the Néel vector in single-crystalline MnTe. The Néel vector points 30° from the a-axis at low $T$, before aligning directly with the a-axis around $T\simeq 260$ K. We attribute this to single-ion anisotropy, which depends on temperature-dependent lattice parameters. We obtained these results using muon-spin spectroscopy, magnetization measurements, and X-ray diffraction; we show that the findings are consistent with neutron diffraction. Manipulating this effect, for example through strain, could unlock sensitive electronic detection schemes for external stimuli, paving the way for functional altermagnetic devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci