ABSTRACT
The grain size of CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) graphene was controlled by changing the precursor gas flow rates, operation temperature, and chamber pressure. Graphene of average grain sizes of 4.1 µm, 2.2 µm, and 0.5 µm was synthesized in high quality and full coverage. The possibility to tailor the thermoelectric conversion characteristics of graphene has been exhibited by examining the grain size effect on the three elementary thermal and electrical properties of σ, S, and k. Electrical conductivity (σ) and Seebeck coefficients (S) were measured in a vacuum for supported graphene on SiO2/Si FET (Field Effect Transistor) substrates so that the charge carrier density could be changed by applying a gate voltage (VG). Mobility (µ) values of 529, 459, and 314 cm²/V·s for holes and 1042, 745, and 490 cm²/V·s for electrons for the three grain sizes of 4.1 µm, 2.2 µm, and 0.5 µm, respectively, were obtained from the slopes of the measured σ vs. VG graphs. The power factor (PF), the electrical portion of the thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT), decreased by about one half as the grain size was decreased, while the thermal conductivity (k) decreased by one quarter for the same grain decrease. Finally, the resulting ZT increased more than two times when the grain size was reduced from 4.1 µm to 0.5 µm.
ABSTRACT
Manipulation of the chemical vapor deposition graphene synthesis conditions, such as operating P, T, heating/cooling time intervals, and precursor gas concentration ratios (CH4/H2), allowed for synthesis of polycrystalline single-layered graphene with controlled grain sizes. The graphene samples were then suspended on 8 µm diameter patterned holes on a silicon-nitride (Si3N4) substrate, and the in-plane thermal conductivities k(T) for 320 K < T < 510 K were measured to be 2660-1230, 1890-1020, and 680-340 W/m·K for average grain sizes of 4.1, 2.2, and 0.5 µm, respectively, using an opto-thermal Raman technique. Fitting of these data by a simple linear chain model of polycrystalline thermal transport determined k = 5500-1980 W/m·K for single-crystal graphene for the same temperature range above; thus, significant reduction of k was achieved when the grain size was decreased from infinite down to 0.5 µm. Furthermore, detailed elaborations were performed to assess the measurement reliability of k by addressing the hole-edge boundary condition, and the air-convection/radiation losses from the graphene surface.
ABSTRACT
Nanophotonic technique has been attracting much attention in applications of nano-bio-chemical sensing and energy conversion of solar energy harvesting and enhanced energy transfer. One approach for nano-bio-chemical sensing is surface plasmon resonance (SPR) imaging, which can detect the material properties, such as density, ion concentration, temperature, and effective refractive index in high sensitivity, label-free, and real-time under ambient conditions. Recent study shows that SPR can successfully detect the concentration variation of nanofluids during evaporation-induced self-assembly process. Spoof surface plasmon resonance based on multilayer metallo-dielectric hyperbolic metamaterials demonstrate SPR dispersion control, which can be combined with SPR imaging, to characterize high refractive index materials because of its exotic optical properties. Furthermore, nano-biophotonics could enable innovative energy conversion such as the increase of absorption and emission efficiency and the perfect absorption. Localized SPR using metal nanoparticles show highly enhanced absorption in solar energy harvesting. Three-dimensional hyperbolic metamaterial cavity nanostructure shows enhanced spontaneous emission. Recently ultrathin film perfect absorber is demonstrated with the film thickness is as low as ~1/50th of the operating wavelength using epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) phenomena at the wavelength close to SPR. It is expected to provide a breakthrough in sensing and energy conversion applications using the exotic optical properties based on the nanophotonic technique.
ABSTRACT
Reliable determination of the complex refractive index (RI) of graphene inherently requires two independent measurement realizations for two independent unknowns of the real (nG) and imaginary (kG) components, i.e., RI = nG + i kG. Thus, any single set of measurement realization provides only one constraint that is insufficient to uniquely determine the complex RI of graphene. Tandem uses of two independent measurement techniques, namely the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) angle detection and the attenuated total reflection (ATR) intensity measurement, allow for the unique determination of the complex RI of CVD-synthesized graphene. The presently measured graphene RI is determined to be 2.65 + 1.27i for the E-field oscillating parallel to graphene at 634â nm wavelength, with variations for different numbers of L (1, 3 and 5) remaining within ±3%. Thus, our demonstration results for the specified wavelength serve as an impetus to suggest the need for two independent measurement techniques in determining both the real and imaginary RI values for graphene. Additional efforts have been made to characterize graphene layers using the density function theory (DFT): this calculation provides RIG = 2.71 + 1.41i.
ABSTRACT
The total thickness of a graphene sample depends upon the number of individually stacked graphene layers. The corresponding surface plasmon resonance (SPR) reflectance alters the SPR angle, depending on the number of graphene layers. Thus, the correlation between the SPR angle shift and the number of graphene layers allows for a nonintrusive, real-time, and reliable counting of graphene layers. A single-layer graphene (SLG) is synthesized by means of chemical vapor deposition, followed by physical transfer to a thin gold film (48 nm) repeatedly, so that multilayer graphene samples with one, three, and five layers can be prepared. Both the measured SPR angles and the entire reflectance curve profiles successfully distinguish the number of graphene layers.
ABSTRACT
The feasibility of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) imaging thermometry is tested as a potential tool for full-field and real-time temperature field mapping for thermally transient liquid mediums. Using the well-known Kretschmann's analysis [Physik 241, 313 (1971)]. parametric examinations are performed to delineate the effects of important optical properties, including seven different prism materials with different refractive index values and seven different measured dielectric constants for thin gold (Au) films (approximately 47.5 nm in thickness), on the temperature dependence of SPR reflectance intensity variations. Furthermore, a laboratory-implemented real-time SPR thermometry system demonstrates the full-field mapping capabilities for transient temperature field developments in the near-wall region when a hot water droplet (80 degrees C) contacts the Au metal surface (20 degrees C) and spreads either in an air- or in a water-surrounded environment.
ABSTRACT
A new concept using a near-field thermometry sensor is presented, employing atipless microcantilever experimentally validated for an aqueous medium within approximatelyone cantilever width from the solid interface. By correlating the thermal Brownian vibratingmotion of the microcantilever with the surrounding liquid temperature, the near-fieldmicroscale temperature distributions at the probing site are determined at separation distancesof z = 5, 10, 20, and 40 µm while the microheater temperature is maintained at 50°C, 70°C, or90°C. In addition, the near-field correction of the correlation is discussed to account for thequenched cantilever vibration frequencies, which are quenched due to the no-slip solid-wallinterference. Higher thermal sensitivity and spatial resolution is expected when the vibrationfrequencies increase with a relatively short and thick cantilever and the dimensions of themicrocantilever are reduced. Use of the microcantilever thermometry sensor can also reduce thecomplexity and mitigate the high cost associated with existing microfabricated thermocouplesor thermoresistive sensors.
