The Effects of Work Function of Metal in Graphene Field-effect Transistors

  • Published : 2014.02.10

Abstract

Graphene field-effect transistors (GFET) is one of candidates for future high speed electronic devices since graphene has unique electronic properties such as high Fermi velocity (vf=10^6 m/s) and carrier mobility ($15,000cm^2/V{\cdot}s$) [1]. Although the contact property between graphene and metals is a crucial element to design high performance electronic devices, it has not been clearly identified. Therefore, we need to understand characteristics of graphene/metal contact in the GFET. Recently, it is theoretically known that graphene on metal can be doped by presence of interface dipole layer induced by charge transfer [2]. It notes that doping type of graphene under metal is determined by difference of work function between graphene and metal. In this study, we present the GFET fabricated by contact metals having high work function (Pt, Ni) for p-doping and low work function (Ta, Cr) for n-doping. The results show that asymmetric conductance depends on work function of metal because the interfacial dipole is locally formed between metal electrodes and graphene. It induces p-n-p or n-p-n junction in the channel of the GFET when gate bias is applied. In addition, we confirm that charge transfer regions are differently affected by gate electric field along gate length.

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