Electrical characterization of graphene synthesized by chemical vapor deposition using Ni substrate

In this work, the electrical characterization of graphene films grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on a Ni thin film is carried out and a simple relation between the gate-dependent electrical transport and the thickness of the films is presented. Arrays of two-terminal devices with an average graphene film thickness of 6.9 nm were obtained using standard fabrication techniques. A simple two-band model is used to describe the graphene films, with a band overlap parameter E(0) = 17 meV determined by the dependence of conductivity on temperature. Statistical electrical measurement data are presented for 126 devices, with an extracted average background conductivity σ = 0.91 mS, average carrier mobility μ = 1300 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) and residual resistivity ρ = 1.65 kΩ. The ratio of mobility to conductivity is calculated to be inversely proportional to the graphene film thickness and this calculation is statistically verified for the ensemble of 126 devices. This result is a new method of graphene film thickness determination and is useful for films which cannot have their thickness measured by AFM or optical interference, but which are electrically contacted and gated. This general approach provides a framework for comparing graphene devices made using different fabrication methods and graphene growth techniques, even without prior knowledge of their uniformity or thickness.