Photosensitive cadmium telluride thin-film field-effect transistors.

We report on the graphene-seeded growth and fabrication of photosensitive Cadmium telluride (CdTe)/graphene hybrid field-effect transistors (FETs) subjected to a post-growth activation process. CdTe thin films were selectively grown on pre-defined graphene, and their morphological, electrical and optoelectronic properties were systemically analyzed before and after the CdCl2 activation process. CdCl2-activated CdTe FETs showed p-type behavior with improved electrical features, including higher electrical conductivity (reduced sheet resistance from 1.09 × 10(9) to 5.55 × 10(7) Ω/sq.), higher mobility (from 0.025 to 0.20 cm2/(V·s)), and faster rise time (from 1.23 to 0.43 s). A post-growth activation process is essential to fabricate high-performance photosensitive CdTe/graphene hybrid devices.

Defect-engineered graphene chemical sensors with ultrahigh sensitivity.

We report defect-engineered graphene chemical sensors with ultrahigh sensitivity (e.g., 33% improvement in NO2 sensing and 614% improvement in NH3 sensing). A conventional reactive ion etching system was used to introduce the defects in a controlled manner. The sensitivity of graphene-based chemical sensors increased with increasing defect density until the vacancy-dominant region was reached. In addition, the mechanism of gas sensing was systematically investigated via experiments and density functional theory calculations, which indicated that the vacancy defect is a major contributing factor to the enhanced sensitivity. This study revealed that defect engineering in graphene has significant potential for fabricating ultra-sensitive graphene chemical sensors.

Self-aligned growth of CdTe photodetectors using a graphene seed layer.

We demonstrate the self-aligned growth of CdTe photodetectors using graphene as a pre-defined seed layer. Defects were generated in the graphene prior to growth to act as CdTe nucleation sites. Self-aligned CdTe structures were grown selectively on the pre-defined graphene region. The electrical and optoelectrical properties of the photodetectors were systematically analyzed. Our CdTe devices displayed Ohmic behavior with a low sheet resistance of 1.24 × 10(8) Ω/sq. Excellent photodetecting performances were achieved, including a high on-off ratio (~2.8), fast response time (10.4 s), and highly reproducible photoresponses. The fabrication method proposed here for these self-aligned device structures proves valuable for the development of next-generation graphene-semiconductor hybrid devices.

Single CdTe microwire photodetectors grown by close-spaced sublimation method.

We demonstrate single CdTe microwire field-effect transistors (FETs) that are highly sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) light. Dense CdTe microwires were catalytically grown using a close-spaced sublimation system. Structural, morphological and transport properties in conjunction with the optoelectronic properties were systemically investigated. CdTe microwire FETs exhibited p-type behaviors with field-effect mobilities up to 1.1 × 10(-3) cm2 V(-1) s(-1). Optoelectronic properties of our CdTe microwire FETs were studied under dark and UV-illumination conditions, where photoresponse was highly dependent on the back-gate bias conditions. Our CdTe microwire FET-based photodetectors are promising for high-performance micro-optoelectronic applications.

Post-growth CdCl2 treatment on CdTe thin films grown on graphene layers using a close-spaced sublimation method.

We investigated the morphological, structural and optical properties of CdCl2-treated cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin films deposited on defective graphene using a close-spaced sublimation (CSS) system. Heat treatment in the presence of CdCl2 caused recrystallization of CSS-grown CdTe over the as-deposited structures. The preferential (111) orientation of as-deposited CdTe films was randomized after post-growth CdCl2 treatment. New small grains (bumps) on the surface of CdCl2-treated CdTe films were ascribed to nucleation of the CdTe grains during the CdCl2 treatment. The properties of as-deposited and CdCl2-treated CdTe films were characterized by room temperature micro-photoluminescence, micro-Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction analysis. Our results are useful to demonstrate a substrate configuration CdTe thin film solar cells.

GaN-based light-emitting diodes on graphene-coated flexible substrates.

We demonstrate GaN-based thin light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on flexible polymer and paper substrates covered with chemical vapor deposited graphene as a transparent-conductive layer. Thin LEDs were fabricated by lifting the sapphire substrate off by Excimer laser heating, followed by transfer of the LEDs to the flexible substrates. These substrates were coated with tri-layer graphene by a wet transfer method. Optical and electrical properties of thin laser lift-offed LEDs on the flexible substrates were characterized under both relaxed and strained conditions. The graphene on paper substrates remained conducting when the graphene/paper structure was folded. The high transmittance, low sheet resistance and high failure strain of the graphene make it an ideal candidate as the transparent and conductive layer in flexible optoelectronics.

GaN-based ultraviolet light-emitting diodes with AuCl3-doped graphene electrodes.

We demonstrate AuCl3-doped graphene transparent conductive electrodes integrated in GaN-based ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with an emission peak of 363 nm. AuCl3 doping was accomplished by dipping the graphene electrodes in 5, 10 and 20 mM concentrations of AuCl3 solutions. The effects of AuCl3 doping on graphene electrodes were investigated by current-voltage characteristics, sheet resistance, scanning electron microscope, optical transmittance, micro-Raman scattering and electroluminescence images. The optical transmittance was decreased with increasing the AuCl3 concentrations. However, the forward currents of UV LEDs with p-doped (5, 10 and 20 mM of AuCl3 solutions) graphene transparent conductive electrodes at a forward bias of 8 V were increased by ~48, 63 and 73%, respectively, which can be attributed to the reduction of sheet resistance and the increase of work function of the graphene. The performance of UV LEDs was drastically improved by AuCl3 doping of graphene transparent conductive electrodes.

Flexible graphene-based chemical sensors on paper substrates.

Graphene-based, flexible NO(2) sensors on paper substrates exhibited an immediate response (32-39%) once exposed to 200 ppm NO(2) gas under a strain of 0.5%. Chemical vapor deposition-grown graphene with a supporting poly(methyl methacrylate) layer was transferred onto paper substrates, followed by formation of two electrodes using silver paste. Current-voltage characteristics and dynamic sensing response were obtained under both relaxed and strained conditions. We demonstrate a facile method without complex photo-lithography and high vacuum processes for fabricating graphene-based flexible NO(2) sensors on paper substrates with high sensing response.

Influence of High-Energy Proton Irradiation on ß-Ga2O3 Nanobelt Field-Effect Transistors.

The robust radiation resistance of wide-band gap materials is advantageous for space applications, where the high-energy particle irradiation deteriorates the performance of electronic devices. We report on the effects of proton irradiation of ß-Ga2O3 nanobelts, whose energy band gap is ∼4.85 eV at room temperature. Back-gated field-effect transistor (FET) based on exfoliated quasi-two-dimensional ß-Ga2O3 nanobelts were exposed to a 10 MeV proton beam. The proton-dose- and time-dependent characteristics of the radiation-damaged FETs were systematically analyzed. A 73% decrease in the field-effect mobility and a positive shift of the threshold voltage were observed after proton irradiation at a fluence of 2 × 1015 cm-2. Greater radiation-induced degradation occurs in the conductive channel of the ß-Ga2O3 nanobelt than at the contact between the metal and ß-Ga2O3. The on/off ratio of the exfoliated ß-Ga2O3 FETs was maintained even after proton doses up to 2 × 1015 cm-2. The radiation-induced damage in the ß-Ga2O3-based FETs was significantly recovered after rapid thermal annealing at 500 °C. The outstanding radiation durability of ß-Ga2O3 renders it a promising building block for space applications.

Transfer-Free Growth of Multilayer Graphene Using Self-Assembled Monolayers.

Large-area graphene needs to be directly synthesized on the desired substrates without using a transfer process so that it can easily be used in industrial applications. However, the development of a direct method for graphene growth on an arbitrary substrate remains challenging. Here, we demonstrate a bottom-up and transfer-free growth method for preparing multilayer graphene using a self-assembled monolayer (trimethoxy phenylsilane) as the carbon source. Graphene was directly grown on various substrates such as SiO2/Si, quartz, GaN, and textured Si by a simple thermal annealing process employing catalytic metal encapsulation. To determine the optimal growth conditions, experimental parameters such as the choice of catalytic metal, growth temperatures, and gas flow rate were investigated. The optical transmittance at 550 nm and the sheet resistance of the prepared transfer-free graphene are 84.3% and 3500 Ω/□, respectively. The synthesized graphene samples were fabricated into chemical sensors. High and fast responses to both NO2 and NH3 gas molecules were observed. The transfer-free graphene growth method proposed in this study is highly compatible with previously established fabrication systems, thereby opening up new possibilities for using graphene in versatile applications.

Body-Attachable and Stretchable Multisensors Integrated with Wirelessly Rechargeable Energy Storage Devices.

A stretchable multisensor system is successfully demonstrated with an integrated energy-storage device, an array of microsupercapacitors that can be repeatedly charged via a wireless radio-frequency power receiver on the same stretchable polymer substrate. The integrated devices are interconnected by a liquid-metal interconnection and operate stably without noticeable performance degradation under strain due to the skin attachment, and a uniaxial strain up to 50%.