Decoupling Junction and Nanosheet Transport in Graphene Networks via Simple DC Temperature-Dependent Measurements

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Condensed Matter Physics
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Printed nanosheet networks are vital for electronics, sensing, and energy storage.
• Understanding charge transport requires distinguishing nanosheet and junction contributions.
• Standard electrical methods struggle to separate these transport components.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a broadly applicable method for separating temperature-dependent junction resistance (R_J) and nanosheet resistivity (ρ_NS).
• To investigate how nanosheet size and stacking influence charge transport.
• To provide insights for designing optimized printed electronic devices.

Main Methods:

• Combined a theoretical model with temperature-dependent resistivity measurements.
• Fabricated networks using nanosheets of varying sizes.
• Analyzed the temperature dependence of R_J and ρ_NS.

Main Results:

• Successfully separated and extracted R_J and ρ_NS.
• Identified R_J as the transport bottleneck in large, thick nanosheet networks.
• Found ρ_NS dominates in smaller, thinner nanosheet networks, exhibiting semiconducting behavior.
• Observed power-law dependence for R_J, indicative of inter-sheet hopping.

Conclusions:

• The developed method enables simultaneous quantification of junction and nanosheet transport.
• Nanosheet size and stacking significantly impact charge transport mechanisms.
• This approach facilitates the design of advanced printed electronic devices by understanding transport limitations.