Effect of Substrate on the Chemically

Prepared Graphene Sheets on Sensor

Applications
Proposal Presentation
Phys-570X
Presented by,
Deepak K. Pandey, Gyan Prakash, Suprem R. Das
Department of Physcs, and Birck Nanotechnology Center
Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN

Outline
1. Graphene Preparation and characterization
2. Device Fabrication
(a) Suspended Graphene-sensor
(b) Graphene Oxide based Sensor ( Suspended and
Supported)
(c) Body effect or contact effect or interface effect
3. Device Characterization
(a) Normal resistivity and Hall resistivity
(b) Study of time response
(c) Mass-Sensor
4. Conclusions

Graphene Preparation and characterization

Preparation:
Preparation of graphene will be done by method provided by Yu et al. [1]. The
procedure and quality of graphene prepared by this method is shown in figure
below [2].

[1]. Yu et al., Appl. Phys. Lett., 93, 113103 (2008)

[2]. Pandey et al., ECS Transection (2009)

Oxidized Graphene Preparation :Chemical Path to

Graphene

Preparation:
Preparation of oxidized graphene will be done by Hummers method [1]. Hydrazine
vapors would be used for reducing the oxidized graphene to graphene.

Substrates:
Substrates used would be Si/SiO2 and Si:H / Si:OM,

OM : Organic Molecules

Motivation:
To study the role of interface states in sensing applications,
[1]. Hummers et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 80, 1339 (1958)

Our Proposal
1.

2.

3.
4.

5.

6.

Graphene being a one atom thick sheet comes in direct contact with substrate,
thus interface state should play important role in sensing. We propose to study
the effect of different substrates.
We propose that suspended graphene sheet will be more efficient for certain
(though not all) gas atom adsorption, as in suspended graphene, both the sides
of the aromatic C-sheet will be exposed to the gas(es).
Both types of sensors will be compared to evaluate the selective sensing
properties.
We propose to fabricate identical sensor devices using bilayer supported and
suspended graphene as the noise level in BLG is known to be much smaller
than that in SLG (IBM reported)
Establishing experimentally, whether the sensing is due to the body dominated
or it is contact dominated or induced by the graphene-substrate interfacial
defects. For the first, we cover the contacts with some insulator to avoid
molecular adsorption. For the second one, we cover large part of the graphene
sheet (except the contacts) using PMMA or any other insulating polymer layer
Metal nano-particles (Pt, Pd) embedded graphene sheets will be used for
hydrogen sensing.

Device Fabrication
Motivation for graphene sensors: Increased sensitivity to ultimate
limit to detect even single dopant
The ultimate limit of detectable S/N ratio at RT in graphene is due to
1.

Being 2D, whole volume is exposed to surface adsorbates

2.

Highly conductive, so having low Johnson noise even with no charge

carriers, so a few carriers cause notable change in signal

3.

Can be made defect free sheet, thereby a low level of excess (1/f) noise
caused by their thermal switching

4.

Four-probe measurements possible over a single sheet, with low resistant

ohmic contact

(Ref: Schedin et al., Nature Materials 6, 652, 2007)

Device Fabrication
Procedure
SLG size: 10m x 10m on Si/SiO2(300nm)
Au/Ti, Au/Cr electrical contacts using EBL
Multi-terminal Hall bar to be defined (by etching graphene in O 2 plasma)

Gas / Vapor detection:

NO2, NH3, H2O, CO, O2, Iodine, Ethanol, H2

An Ar/H2 cleaning procedure (high temp cleaning in a reducing atmosphere

sample cleaned by heating in flowing H2/Ar 850sccm Ar, 950sccm H2,
400C, 1hr) for removing polymer contaminations on graphene surface left
during lithographic processing. PR and other contaminants can greatly
reduce the sensing
Vapor response measurements

Device Fabrication contd

(a) EBL defined Hall bar on SLG

AFM linescan

Data by Y. Dan et al

Device Characterization
Mechanism:
Adsorb gases changes the resistivity/conductivity of the graphene layer making it a gas
sensitive resistor. Desorption of adsorb gases bring graphene to its natural state thus
recovering the sensor.
Changes in the longitudinal (normal) resistance upon gas adsorption
The Hall effect in graphene-based device shows strong sensitivity of the Hall resistivity
xy to the charge carrier density (n or p), making it promising feature for sensor
applications.
Variation in Vg can manipulate the carrier type,
the charge carrier density, and switching from one
conduction regime to other

~ 7.2E10 cm-2V-1 (from Hall meas)

Geim et al., Nature Materials, 6, 183 (2007)

Device Characterization

Graphene sensors: resolutions can be ~ ppb

Graphene can be doped in conc > 1012

Schedin et al., Nature Materials, 6, 652 (2007)

Single molecule sensing

Spike-like changes in Hall Resistivity near neutrality

point

Schedin et al., Nature Materials, 6, 652 (2007)

R depends on B, number of
graphene layers, and device to
device, reflecting the steepness of
Hall resistivity near neutrality
point

Device Characterization- Mass Sensor

1 ' dc 2
'
dc
Fel Cg (Vg ) CgVg Vg .
2
m
f
f 0 [ A( E / ) t / L ] A 0.57T / L wt
2 .
m
f0
m
Sensitivity in Air:
f 0.25MHz
7.1 103
m
1/ 2

1. D. Garcia-Sanchez, Nano Lett, 8(5), 1399 ;

2 2

2. J. S. Bunch, Science, 315, 490 (2007)

Conclusions
1.

Graphene will be prepared using chemical segregation on Ni and by chemical

functionalization of graphite

2.

Supported and suspended electronic and mass sensors will be prepared on

single layer graphene (SLG) and bilayer graphene (BLG).

3.

Effect of substrates on graphene sensor will be studied.

4.

Combined, electronic and mass sensor will be developed.

Acknowledgement
Prof. Y. P. Chen and the team members of this project.

THANKS!

Noise Analysis