Functionalized Nanoscale Graphene: A Platform for Integrated Nanodevices

Graphene is unique among nanomaterials in that it offers not only the possibility of transformative new device elements, but also the possibility of a revolutionary new device integration platform. The goal of the Berkeley/Rice MURI team is to explore innovative device concepts that capitalize on the extraordinary electrical, spin, optical, and nanomechanical properties of graphene, and the integration of these properties at the single and multi-device level. To achieve this goal, the team's activities will focus on exploring new techniques for graphene device fabrication at and below the 10 nm level, on developing new chemical-based methods for graphene device synthesis and functionalization at the nanoscale, and on advancing new microscopy and spectroscopy tools for graphene device characterization with atomic spatial resolution and ultrafast time resolution.

Combined scanned probe, electron-beam, and chemistry-based techniques will be used for controlling graphene bandstructure, graphene edges, the mechanical and magneto-electronic properties of "shaped" graphene nanoplatelets, and graphene electron transport behavior. This research will impact applications involving compact self-powered technologies that include chemical detectors, multispectral, frequency agile THz and infrared generators, modulators, rf/optical detectors, and low-power spintronics devices.

The Graphene MURI is a five-year, multi-university effort funded by the Office of Naval Research, and started in 2009 with the overall goal of controlling and understanding the properties of nanostructured graphene through theory and experiment.