Controlled chlorine plasma reaction for noninvasive graphene doping.

We investigated the chlorine plasma reaction with graphene and graphene nanoribbons and compared it with the hydrogen and fluorine plasma reactions. Unlike the rapid destruction of graphene by hydrogen and fluorine plasmas, much slower reaction kinetics between the chlorine plasma and graphene were observed, allowing for controlled chlorination. Electrical measurements on graphene sheets, graphene nanoribbons, and large graphene films grown by chemical vapor deposition showed p-type doping accompanied by a conductance increase, suggesting nondestructive doping via chlorination. Ab initio simulations were performed to rationalize the differences in fluorine, hydrogen, and chlorine functionalization of graphene.

Graphene nanoribbons with smooth edges behave as quantum wires.

Graphene nanoribbons with perfect edges are predicted to exhibit interesting electronic and spintronic properties, notably quantum-confined bandgaps and magnetic edge states. However, so far, graphene nanoribbons produced by lithography have had rough edges, as well as low-temperature transport characteristics dominated by defects (mainly variable range hopping between localized states in a transport gap near the Dirac point). Here, we report that one- and two-layer nanoribbon quantum dots made by unzipping carbon nanotubes exhibit well-defined quantum transport phenomena, including Coulomb blockade, the Kondo effect, clear excited states up to ∼20 meV, and inelastic co-tunnelling. Together with the signatures of intrinsic quantum-confined bandgaps and high conductivities, our data indicate that the nanoribbons behave as clean quantum wires at low temperatures, and are not dominated by defects.

Room-temperature all-semiconducting sub-10-nm graphene nanoribbon field-effect transistors.

Sub-10 nm wide graphene nanoribbon field-effect transistors (GNRFETs) are studied systematically. All sub-10 nm GNRs afforded semiconducting FETs without exception, with Ion/Ioff ratio up to 10(6) and on-state current density as high as approximately 2000 microA/microm. We estimated carrier mobility approximately 200 cm2/V s and scattering mean free path approximately 10 nm in sub-10 nm GNRs. Scattering mechanisms by edges, acoustic phonon, and defects are discussed. The sub-10 nm GNRFETs are comparable to small diameter (d< or = approximately 1.2 nm) carbon nanotube FETs with Pd contacts in on-state current density and Ion/Ioff ratio, but have the advantage of producing all-semiconducting devices.

Gate electrostatics and quantum capacitance of graphene nanoribbons.

Capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristics are important for understanding fundamental electronic structures and device applications of nanomaterials. The C-V characteristics of graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) are examined using self-consistent atomistic simulations. The results indicate strong dependence of the GNR C-V characteristics on the edge shape. For zigzag edge GNRs, highly nonuniform charge distribution in the transverse direction due to edge states lowers the gate capacitance considerably, and the self-consistent electrostatic potential significantly alters the band structure and carrier velocity. For an armchair edge GNR, the quantum capacitance is a factor of 2 smaller than its corresponding zigzag carbon nanotube, and a multiple gate geometry is less beneficial for transistor applications. Magnetic field results in pronounced oscillations on C-V characteristics.