Optical, Electrical, Chemical Properties of Graphene

Prof. Thomas Szkopek
McGill University

Wednesday, July 7, 2010 at 1:00pm
Engr IV Maxwell Room 57-124

Abstract:
Graphene is a quantum well material with a unique electronic bandstructure, and can easily be produced by exfoliation or growth. Graphene layers are readily countable by optical reflectometry and ellipsometry, a consequence of the universal quantization of optical conductance in quantum wells. Graphene transistors on various substrates can thus be easily prepared. Motivated by work with organic semiconductors, we show that graphene transistors on parylene substrates offer good mobility, reduced doping, and reduced hysteresis compared to typical oxide substrates. The underlying mechanism for doping and instability on oxide substrates is demonstrated to be a result of electrochemical reaction between graphene, adsorbed water and substrate. Finally, we will present preliminary work on the photochemical modification of graphene oxide to graphene via UV lithography.

Biography:
Thomas Szkopek received his BASc from UofT in 1999, in the Eng Sci Physics program, and an MASc at UofT under the supervision of PWE Smith in 2001. He completed a PhD under the supervision of Eli Yablonovitch at UCLA in 2006 on the topic of quantum information with semiconductor quantum dots, after which he assumed the post of Assistant Professor at McGill University in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He holds a Canada Research Chair in Nanoscale Electronics, and has made contributions to the fields of far-IR photodetectors, plasmonics, and graphene.