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Surface-energy engineering of graphene.
Young Jun Shin1, Yingying Wang, Han Huang
1Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117576.
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|February 18, 2010
Summary
Contact angle goniometry reveals that epitaxial graphene on SiC significantly increases surface wettability compared to SiC alone. Low-power oxygen plasma treatment enhances graphene
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Surface Science
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Epitaxial graphene on silicon carbide (SiC) is a promising material for electronic applications.
- Surface wettability is a critical parameter influencing device fabrication and performance.
- Understanding the surface properties of graphene is essential for its integration into various technologies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the wettability of epitaxial graphene on SiC using contact angle goniometry.
- To determine the effect of graphene thickness and oxygen plasma treatment on its surface properties.
- To explore methods for improving graphene's adhesion for device fabrication.
Main Methods:
- Contact angle goniometry was employed to measure the wettability of graphene on SiC.
- Raman spectroscopy was utilized to assess the structural integrity and damage in graphene after plasma treatment.
- Single-, bi-, and multilayer graphene, along with highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG), were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Epitaxial graphene on SiC exhibited a significantly higher contact angle (92 degrees) compared to SiC substrates (69 degrees), indicating increased hydrophobicity.
- The contact angle showed no dependence on graphene thickness across single-, bi-, and multilayer samples.
- Oxygen plasma treatment, particularly at low power, improved graphene's wettability without causing significant structural damage, as confirmed by Raman spectroscopy.
Conclusions:
- Epitaxial graphene possesses distinct surface wettability properties compared to its SiC substrate.
- Surface wettability of graphene can be tuned via controlled plasma treatments.
- Optimized oxygen plasma treatment offers a viable route to enhance graphene adhesion, addressing critical challenges in graphene device manufacturing.
