Graphene Nanoelectronics – From Synthesis to Device Applications

A single atomic layer of carbon that has been exfoliated from a bulk graphite is called graphene. This two dimensional allotrope of carbon is the thinnest known material but also the strongest ever measured in terms of mechanical stiffness. The charge carriers exhibit extremely high carrier mobility with zero effective mass. It can also sustain current density six orders of magnitude higher than that of copper and shows record thermal conductivity. Since its discovery in 2004, graphene has been heralded as the 'miracle material' and the founders were awarded the 2010 Nobel prize in physics.
The purpose of my thesis is to understand the fundamental properties of graphene to explore new possibilities in the field of nanoelectronics. A thorough characterization of the synthesis method, the film quality, the doping method, and the device fabrication are all essential component of this work. After understanding these basic qualities, the next phase is to investigate new applications for graphene. Some of these new applications that the author explored in this work are tunable bandgap transistors, transparent and flexible conductors, high mobility flexible modulator circuits for radio frequency application, completely transparent and flexible circuits using only graphene, and transistors based on graphene heterostructures.