Nanoscale imaging of freestanding nitrogen doped single layer graphene

Graphene can be p-type or n-type doped by introduction of specific species. Doping can modulate the electronic properties of graphene, but opening a sizable-well-tuned bandgap is essential for graphene-based tunable electronic devices. N-doped graphene is widely used for device applications and is mostly achieved by introducing ammonia into the synthesis gas during the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. Post synthesis treatment studies to fine-tune the electron hole doping in graphene are limited. In this work realization of N-doping in large area freestanding single layer graphene (LFG) is achieved by post treatment in nitrogen plasma. The changes in the chemical and electronic properties of graphene are followed with Raman microscopy and mapped via synchrotron based scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) at the nanoscale.